Imperfect
by ChokolateKiss
Summary: Based on the tv show GG. Blair starts seeing a different side to Chuck, a caring and compassionate side, after ending things with Nate and they eventually fall in love. CB
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

Opening her eyes, Blair stared at the plain ceiling blankly from her bed. How had things gone so wrong in her life? Ever since she had first laid eyes on her boyfriend Nate Archibald, she had envisioned them as the perfect couple that everyone envied, but the reality was far from it. It wasn't until her best friend Serena van der Woodsen had disappeared for six months and returned just a few weeks ago that everything had become clear to Blair: Nate had slept with her best friend. And to make things worse, he acted in a way that made it seem as if he were in love with Serena. Blair had been unable to look at either of them for some time, but she quickly forgave Nate, much to his and everyone's surprise. Serena was a separate issue, but it hadn't gone unnoticed to Blair that Serena had undergone a transformation the months she had disappeared. She was genuinely sorry for what she had done and this was a very different person from the care-free party girl she use to be.

Blair and Nate had agreed to start with a clean slate, but things quickly reverted back to the previously regular schedule. Blair would sit in the sidelines while Nate completely disregarded her and her feelings. She would hear about important things in his life from everyone around her, but never from Nate himself. Sighing aloud, Blair ran a hand through her hair. She was tired of feeling neglected and unwanted. She was tired of always coming last on Nate's list. With things between her and Serena rocky, the only other person she had to turn to these days was Nate's best friend Chuck.

Chuck Bass was something else. He was the notorious Park Avenue bad boy and a womanizer to the very core. He slept with one girl after another and basically drank his way through life. But he was the one person in Blair's life who always spoke the truth no matter how bitter and ugly it was and Blair had always respected him for that. Knowing Chuck for most of her life, they had always bickered and squabbled through every conversation and it helped Blair keep her head on her shoulders when things got really bad at times. But why was she thinking about Chuck all of a sudden? Shaking her head, Blair sat up in her bed and looked around her room. Everything was perfectly arranged and not a single thing was out of place. Her room resembled her life: Everything was perfect. But was it?

Looking over at a picture of her and Nate on her bed stand, Blair noticed for the first time how neither of them were smiling. They were holding hands, but there seemed to be a distance between them and she realized that everything in her life wasn't perfect. She knew what she had to do, but a part of her was afraid of being alone. After all, she had been with Nate for so many years and the sudden idea of being by herself was scary. Shaking such thoughts away, she rose out of bed confidently and walked towards her closet. Grabbing a knee-high red skirt and a black top, she stared at the chosen clothes and smiled. She was Blair Waldorf: everything in her life was perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

Walking towards the restaurant, Blair opened the door and stepped inside with a broad smile. Sitting at their regular table were Nate and Chuck. Her eyes then caught hold of someone else next to Chuck and it made her smile disappear. Taking a deep breath, Blair cleared her throat and approached her group.

"Hey Waldorf," Chuck said with a grin, being the first one to notice her.

She gave him a look before turning to Nate.

"Hey," he said, getting out of his chair and walking to her. "Good morning."

Blair turned from him to Serena who immediately looked away.

"Why is she here?" she asked, turning back to Nate.

"Serena was getting breakfast with her mom and we rescued her from a torturous meal," he replied. "Honest, Blair, we ran into her just a while ago."

Turning towards Serena, she gave her a fake smile before sitting down beside Nate. Sitting down in her seat, she noticed the smirk on Chuck's face and wanted nothing more than to slap him. As the waiter approached and took their orders, Blair sat miserably between Nate and Serena. Before their food arrived at their table, Nate excused himself to use the restroom and Serena answered a call on her cell phone, also excusing herself from the table. Once they were both gone, Blair sat back in her seat more comfortably. A few moments passed before she realized Chuck was staring at her.

"What?" she barked at him.

"Are you ever going to forgive her?" he asked.

His words caught her by surprise. She was expecting him to make an insensitive comment or a smug remark but his question actually seemed sincere.

"Why do you care?" she snapped at him.

"I _don't_ care. It's just that the girl seems like she's really sorry," he said with a shrug.

"She slept with my boyfriend," Blair said bitterly. "Have you forgotten that?"

"No and it's obvious you haven't either," he said, shaking his head. "But it takes two to tango."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, crossing her arms at her chest.

"Don't get me wrong. Nathaniel's my best friend and I love the guy like a brother," he began, taking a sip from his drink. "But as I recall, Serena _and _Nate betrayed you."

"Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Bass," Blair said before looking away.

"You have every right to be mad, I get that. All I'm saying is that you're treating Serena like crap and using the whole guilt thing to the maximum and she's just taking everything you're throwing at her," he expressed. "But you forgave Nate after what…a few hours? You let Nate off the hook so easily and he walks around like he never did anything wrong. He was your _boyfriend_, Blair."

She stared at him for a long moment, taking his words to heart.

"I'm not trying to add fuel to the fire," he said calmly. "I'm just saying that you forgave Nate without a moment's hesitation when it's Serena who's been trying to make amends all this time. She's the one who walks around asking for your forgiveness. Can't you cut her some slack?"

"I can't believe such words of advice are coming out of _your_ mouth," Blair exclaimed, placing her hands in her lap as her anger slowly subsided.

"I know," he said, the arrogance returning to his voice. "I have my moments."

Smiling genuinely at him, she looked up just in time to see Serena returning to the table.

"You guys, I'm going to head out," she began, smiling nervously. "You know my mom."

Just as she was about to leave, Blair's words stopped her.

"Wait," she said as Serena turned around. "Don't go."

"Are you sure you want me here?" Serena asked, her eyes never meeting Blair's.

Turning to face Chuck, she gave him a slight nod and he realized what she meant.

"Don't tear each other's hairs out, ladies," he said before rising to his feet and heading towards Nate who was just returning.

"What's up?" Nate asked with a frown.

"Let's go," Chuck stated, pulling him by his arm. "They need some time to hash things out."

Before Nate could interject, Chuck had already led him outside. Back at the table, Serena sat across from her friend and looked up to speak.

"Let me get this out," Blair began, cutting her off. "When you disappeared for six months, a big part of me was worried about you. Where you were, why you had left, if anything had happened to you. But a small part of me was angry at you too. We had been best friends for so long and you had left without so much as a goodbye."

"I know," Serena said quietly.

"And then you came back and I found out why you had left in the first place: because you slept with Nate," she continued. "And the idea of the two of you…it killed me, Serena."

"I'm so sorry," she exclaimed.

"I know you are," Blair admitted. "I know I've been treating you pretty bad ever since and you did deserve some of it, maybe most even or all of it but I'm done. Someone made me realize that I forgave Nate so easily and yet I was still so angry at you when you were both to blame."

Serena's eyes turned hopeful as she listened to her friend.

"What does that say, Serena?" Blair asked sadly. "I'm not ready to admit to whatever that insinuates. All I know right now is that I miss you."

"I miss you too," Serena exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "So much."

"I just need you to know that I haven't forgiven you yet," Blair reminded firmly. "But I want to because you're my best friend. I miss you and I love you."

Jumping out of her chair, Serena pulled Blair into a tight embrace.

"I know we have a long road ahead of us," Serena expressed, leaning back slightly. "But the fact that you're willing to give me another chance means everything."

"The fact that you're genuinely sorry for what happened also means everything," Blair replied as both girls hugged once more.

They had spent the rest of the morning enjoying their meal and talking about so many things that had happened in both of their lives when they were separate. After an hour of reminiscing, they had parted ways outside on friendly terms. Walking towards the side of the street to hail a cab, she was surprised when a limousine pulled up in front of her. Opening the door, she peeked in and smiled at Chuck. Climbing inside, she closed the door and faced him.

"Took you guys long enough," he exclaimed. "Then again, my advice always works."

"Don't get all smug on me, Bass," she replied.

Grinning victoriously at her, he turned his face towards the window.

"Thank you, though," she suddenly said, her voice holding certain softness to it as he turned to her. "I had forgotten how much I missed her."

"Blair Waldorf thanking me," he said with a chuckle. "That's a new one."

Not one to fall short on snarky replies, Blair smiled widely.

"Chuck Bass giving advice that doesn't involve sleeping with girls or alcohol," she expressed. "That one's even worse."

"What's happened to us?" he asked as she laughed.

"I know what you mean," she stated. "Who would have ever thought you actually had a heart?"

Her words saddened him, much to his surprise. Why it mattered what she thought of him was confusing to Chuck, but he pushed such thoughts away and smiled.

"Where's Nate?" she asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"He had to go home," he replied. "His father wanted to talk to him about a bunch of family-related stuff."

Nodding sadly, Blair looked to the side. What family-stuff was he referring to?

"Where do you want me to drop you off?" he asked as she faced him.

"Home I guess," she replied with a shrug.

"Want to hang out for a bit?" he asked her as she slowly smiled.

"Why not," she said nonchalantly. "I can't think of any other ways to waste my time. Why not waste it on you?"

Smiling at her words, Chuck opened the middle window and gave a set of instructions to his driver. As he closed the window, Blair moved so she was sitting next to him. They turned and smiled at one another, oblivious to the rest of their surroundings.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

As the limousine pulled to a stop on the side of the road, Chuck opened the door and stepped out followed by Blair.

"Where are we?" she asked as he began walking towards a building.

"Come on," he said, holding the door open for her.

When she stepped through the main doors, she noticed colorful lights flashing around a center stage at the very end of the room. The stage was situated before a series of private booths and smaller tables with a bar to the left.

"You brought me to a strip bar?" she asked in disbelief. "Then again, why should I be surprised? It is _you_, after all."

"Funny," he said with a dry laugh. "This isn't a strip bar. It's Victrola."

"You've lost me completely," she said, glancing around the empty area.

"It's a burlesque club," he explained as she faced him. "I convinced my father to purchase it this morning."

"You persuaded your father to buy this? The same Bart Bass who can never be convinced of anything?" she asked and smiled. "I'm proud of you, Bass."

With that, she began walking forward towards the stage and he slowly followed her.

"So what do you think?" he asked as she walked onto the stage and faced him.

"Serious possibilities," she replied before twirling on stage.

He watched her with a soft smile as she extended her hands into the air above her head and sighed contently, her eyes closed. His smile widened as he noticed her body stretching slightly.

"I always wondered what it would be like to perform on a stage in front of people," she began.

"So what's stopping you?" he asked as she opened her eyes and stared down at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's only me right now," he said with a wink.

Smiling back, she stepped off the stage and stood in front of him.

"In your dreams, Bass," she said before moving past him.

He couldn't help but smile and turned around.

"Tonight's the opening," he said. "Invitation's open to both you and Nate. Van der Woodsen too if she wants to come."

Blair's face suddenly fell and he noticed the change in her mood.

"I'd love too but…," she began and sighed. "I can't. Nate and I have a really important date planned."

Hiding the disappointment he was feeling, Chuck offered her a grin.

"The eighth attempt in the removal of your chastity belt?" he asked as she gave him a bitter look.

"Yes, if you must know," she said. "It's going to be so romantic. We're going to have dinner at my favorite restaurant and slow-dance."

"You mean the Four Seasons?" he asked as she smiled broadly at him.

"How did you know?" Blair asked as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Lucky guess," he lied. "I'm happy for you, Waldorf."

"Really?" she asked, raising her brows.

"Well, actually, I'm happier for me," he corrected. "The sooner you and Nate do the deed, the sooner I stop hearing about another of the failed attempts, despite the fact that they provide me with much humor."

Swatting his arm with her purse, she walked off as he laughed and followed her. Once they were back outside, he opened the limousine door for her.

"If things don't go the way you want tonight, the invitation's still open," he said.

"Thanks," she said with a genuine smile before getting inside.

After Chuck had dropped her off at home, Blair head inside her fancy house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Walking towards her closet, she began looking through her wardrobe, unsure which outfit to choose. She finally chose a short black dress that was not too revealing, but enough to satisfy her. Walking towards her dresser, she fixed her hair in loose curls, pinning it up elegantly. Once her makeup was also done, she walked downstairs towards the kitchen where her mother, Eleanor Waldorf, was reading a newspaper and sipping from her glass of water.

"You're all dressed up," she said, noticing her daughter.

"Nate's taking me out tonight," Blair exclaimed happily. "It's going to be so romantic."

"Are you going out for a late lunch or dinner?" she asked.

"Dinner," Blair replied.

"Blair, it's four in the afternoon," Eleanor stated.

"I know, I got ready too early," she said with a small laugh.

Eleanor shook her head and smiled at her before returning to the newspaper. Staring at her mom for a minute, a thought came to her mind.

"Do you want to hang out for a bit?" she asked as Eleanor looked up again. "We haven't done that in a long time."

"But you have plans," she reminded her daughter.

"It's only four, like you said," Blair offered as Eleanor smiled.

"I'll get the ice cream, you get the photo albums," she said as Blair nodded and head upstairs.

After a few minutes, they were sitting side by side on one of the sofas, eating a very small amount of ice cream and going through photo albums from years ago. A couple hours later, they landed on a picture of the two of them and Harold, Blair's father.

"I miss daddy all the time," she began, looking up at her mother. "But sometimes I think that daddy leaving was a good thing."

"What do you mean?" Eleanor asked with a frown.

"It brought us closer together, mom," Blair replied. "Before, you were so uptight and we'd never spend time together like this. But now…"

Smiling sadly, Eleanor nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I'm sorry it took something like your father abandoning us for me to spend more time with you."

"Don't be," Blair said, leaning in to hug her mother. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too," Eleanor said gently. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Leaning back, Blair smiled broadly.

"Why can't Nate say that?" she asked, slightly saddened by her own words as Eleanor laughed and rose to her feet.

"You have a fancy date tonight, don't you?" she said. "I think I've had enough reminiscing for one day. You go and have fun on your date. I'm going to visit Serena's mother for some male bashing."

"Okay," Blair said with a laugh. "Bye."

Eleanor waved as she grabbed her coat and purse and walked out of their home. Putting the albums on the table and the ice cream cups in the kitchen sink, she walked back to the sofa and sat down. Glancing at her watch, she realized that it was quarter after six. Removing her cell phone from her purse, she text messaged Nate, wondering where he was. After ten minutes and no reply, she dialed his phone number.

"Hi Nate, it's me," she began quietly. "It's almost six-thirty. You were supposed to pick me up at six to go to dinner, remember? Are you okay? Give me a call when you get this."

Hanging up reluctantly, Blair sighed as she gazed around the empty house. After a few more minutes, she sighed and grabbed her jacket. Fifteen minutes later, she pulled up to Nate's home and knocked on the door of the large house. When no one answered, she twisted the knob and opened the door. Glancing around herself, she heard voices coming from upstairs and slowly walked towards them. Stopping outside of Nate's bedroom, she recognized the other voice as being Serena's.

"What's the emergency, Nate?" she asked, her voice sounding annoyed. "I didn't want to come out of respect for Blair, but you made it sound like life and death."

Peeping inside the room secretly, Blair saw Serena standing far from Nate, her arms crossed at her chest uncomfortably. She then noticed Nate marginally closing the distance between them.

"Serena, I can't fight it anymore," he said.

"Fight what?" she asked with a frown.

"I want you. I want to be with you," he exclaimed as both Serena and Blair gasped.

"This is why you asked me to come?" Serena asked in angry disbelief. "How many times do I have to tell you that it will never happen? I don't feel that way about you and Blair is my best friend! She's your girlfriend, Nate! What are you doing?"

"I have to stop lying," he said, stepping even closer to her. "I don't love her, Serena. All I think about is you. Every time she and I kiss, it's like torture for me."

Outside, tears formed in Blair's eyes as she listened to her boyfriend's words and she took a step back in shock.

"Stop it!" Serena expressed. "If you don't want to be with her, then respect Blair enough to tell her and end things. Stop breaking her heart and hurting her like this."

"I don't care about Blair right now!" he said, his voice almost in a shout. "Right now, in this room, it's just you and me. I want to be with you, Serena, and I know you want to be with me too."

"Why don't you get this?" she snapped at him. "I _don't_ want to be with you!"

"Look, I'll end things with Blair," he began. "I don't like hurting her, but I can't lie about my feelings anymore. Not to her, not to you and not to myself."

Before Serena was able to say anything, Blair stepped inside the room from the shadows of the hallway. Both Nate and Serena froze in their spots as they stared at her wide-eyed.

"Blair…," Nate began, unsure what to say. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," she said as her tears rolled down her cheeks. "I was dressed and ready for our date for the past three hours. I was sitting at home, waiting for you like an idiot!"

"Blair…," Nate said with a sigh.

Before he could get in another word, she slapped him hard across his cheek.

"You are such an unbelievable son of a bitch!" she exclaimed as he stared at her in shock. "Every time you kiss me, it's torture?"

"I…," he started, but she slapped him again, this time on his other cheek.

"Don't you dare apologize!" she snapped as he touched his cheeks, both red from pain. "You and I are over from this moment on, do you understand me? If you see me at school or anywhere else, walk the other way. You are dead to me, Nate, and I hope to God that one day someone will break your heart the way you broke mine over and over again."

With that, she turned to Serena who had a fearful look in her eyes.

"It's him I hate, not you," she said before turning and running out of the room.

"Blair!" Serena shouted, following her best friend downstairs as Nate slowly sat down on his bed in silence. "Sweetie, wait!"

Turning around, Blair pulled Serena into an embrace and began crying heavily.

"I can't believe this happened," Blair cried as Serena tried to soothe her.

"I'm so sorry," Serena exclaimed, leaning back. "I don't know what to say."

"I tried so hard to make it work. Did he _ever_ love me?" Blair asked sadly.

"I'm sure he did and still does," Serena began and sighed. "He's just…he's an idiot. You deserve someone so much better than him. Nate's a good friend but a terrible boyfriend."

Laughing bitterly, Blair nodded and wiped her tears away.

"What can I do?" Serena asked. "Do you want me to call your mom? Take you home? Kill _him_ for you?"

Laughing at the last words, Blair shook her head.

"Thank you, but it's okay. There's somewhere I need to be right now," she replied.

"B, I'm so sorry," Serena began. "Everything is my fault."

"No it's not," Blair said, shaking her head. "You made a mistake, a _big_ one, but you always regretted it. Nate's been in love with you for so long. Deep down, I knew it. I guess I just didn't want to admit it."

Drying her eyes once more, Blair cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"I have to go," she said before turning and leaving the house.

Watching her go helplessly, she slowly turned and noticed Nate standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes looking pained.

"Are you satisfied?" she asked as he walked down the stairs, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"I never wanted this," he began quietly. "I never wanted to hurt her."

"Yeah, well you did," she replied and barged out of the house, leaving Nate standing alone in silence.

After she had hailed a cab, she had given a set of directions and made her way towards Victrola. Once she arrived, it was past seven-thirty. Before she walked inside, she released her hair and allowed the curls to hang over her shoulders. Stepping inside, she heard loud burlesque music playing and four young women in costumes dancing on stage as a large crowd of people sat at the tables and booths, watching the show. Heading towards the bar, she noticed Chuck sitting on one of the stools, talking to the manager of the club. Not wanting to interrupt him, she sat a few seats over and ordered a glass of champagne. Once the first glass was done, she ordered a refill. It wasn't until her third glass that Chuck noticed her. Ending his conversation with his manager, he walked towards her with a smile and sat on her left.

"Hey, you made it," he said before seeing her puffy eyes.

Turning her body so she was fully facing him, he pushed her hair out of her face and placed his hands on her thighs in comfort.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"I was waiting for him to pick me up and he was late. When Nate didn't reply to my messages, I went to his place to see if everything was alright. I saw him and Serena talking in his bedroom," she began to explain as he sighed inwardly.

"What were they saying?" he asked.

"_She_ was telling him it would never happen between them and was defending me," Blair replied. "_He_ was telling her how much he wanted her and wanted to be with her. How he didn't give a damn about me or the fact that he was hurting me."

"Waldorf, I'm sorry," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder as she shook her head.

"I'm tired of crying," she said, wiping her eyes and arching her back. "I'm so sick and tired of feeling unwanted and having my heart broken."

Turning towards the stage, Blair smiled and rose to her feet.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Dancing," she replied, leaving his side and moving towards the stage.

The manager glanced his way, wondering if he should stop her but Chuck told him to back off. Walking to the side of the stage, he gazed up at her as Blair made her way to the center of the stage. The cheers began growing as the other dancers invited her to dance with them. With her back turned to the people, she slowly looked back and made eye contact with Chuck. Smiling at him seductively, she began moving slowly to the music as he watched her in amazement. His eyes were glued to her, mesmerized by the way she moved and how free she seemed to feel on the stage. Once the song was done and everyone had applauded her, Blair made her way off the stage and towards an awaiting Chuck.

"Feel better?" he asked her as she smiled, clearly drunk.

"I feel alive," she exclaimed happily.

He held onto her waist to keep her balanced and turned his face to the side to speak with his approaching manager. Blair gazed at the side of his face with lustful eyes, her hands placed on the collar of his shirt. When he turned back to her, her smile broadened.

"What?" he asked with a slight laugh.

"You have such nice eyes," she said as he laughed again.

"And you're clearly drunk and delusional," he replied.

"No…well, yes," she agreed. "But your eyes…they're so deep and penetrating."

Touching his brow, she traced a line down his face as his gaze softened.

"How did you know where my favorite restaurant was?" she asked him, removing her hand from his face.

"Lucky guess," he said once more.

An idea suddenly popped in her mind and she steadied herself.

"Do you have an office here?" she asked.

"Why?" he said in return.

"I just want to be alone for a bit," she said as he nodded.

"Come on," Chuck replied, taking her hand and leading her to the back of the club.

Opening a set of doors, they entered an office that was designed only for Chuck or his father when either visited the club. There was a leather chair behind a large desk on one side with a leather sofa on the other, next to a side table. Sitting on the sofa, she looked up at him.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she extended her hand to him and he took it, sitting down next to her.

"I don't know what to tell you," he said quietly. "Nate can be an idiot sometimes. He's not a bad person at heart, but he can be an idiot. I'm really sorry he hurt you."

She gazed at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable.

"What?" he asked her.

Without any more hesitation, she leaned forward and pressed her lips onto his. He was taken aback by her move at first, but the feeling of her lips on his was too good that he didn't pull away from her. As the kiss began intensifying, Blair moved onto his legs, curling her own legs around his body and holding onto the nape of his neck as he ran his hands up her back, sending a shiver down her spine. Reality suddenly struck him and he pulled away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.

"We can't do this," he said, rubbing his face.

"Why not?" she asked, moving her lips to his neck. "Nate and I are history."

"You're drunk, Waldorf," he said with a slight smile.

"I'm not _that_ drunk," she replied.

Sighing softly, he placed her back on the sofa and rose to his feet.

"Come on, I'll take you home," he said, extending his hand to her.

Upset that he, too, had rejected her, she slapped his hand away and got to her feet. Realizing what she was thinking, he pulled her into a long kiss.

"I didn't stop it because I don't want you," he said with a sad smile. "But you're drunk right now and as much as my reputation makes me out to be an asshole, I'm not _that_ much of an ass to take advantage of you right now."

"So you _do_ want me?" Blair asked, leaning into him with a goofy smile.

"Yes I do…more than you know," he replied. "Every time I'm around you, I feel like there's something fluttering in my stomach. I disgust myself."

She laughed at his words and he smiled, always having loved her laugh.

"You have _butterflies_?" she asked, touching the sides of his face. "You're so cute."

"Now you know why I'm saying these embarrassing things now…because you're not going to remember any of this tomorrow," he said, kissing her softly. "Besides, I'm Chuck Bass. I don't say things like this in public. It's embarrassing and just plain wrong."

As she laughed again, he took her hand and began leading her outside the club. Feeling suddenly dizzy, Blair quickly ran out the doors and threw up in the side of the street as he smiled at her. Once she was done emptying the contents of her stomach, he shook his head and pulled her into the limousine. When they were inside and the driver had taken off, Blair's face fell into his lap and she was sound asleep. Pushing the hair out of her face, he shook his head again and laughed. After twenty minutes, they had arrived at her house. Pulling her out of the limousine, he carried her up the stairs to her door. Removing her keys from her purse, he opened the door and walked inside. Realizing that Eleanor wasn't home yet, he carried her sleeping body up the stairs, walked into her bedroom and placed Blair in her bed. Covering her with her blanket, he gazed down at her and pushed the few strands of hair out of her face once more.

"Goodnight Blair," he said softly before walking out of the room while she slept peacefully, unaware of anything that had happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

The sun was shining brightly in the cloudless sky as everyone went about their individual days. Pedestrians swarmed the sidewalks and impatient cars crowded the streets. Stepping out of her cab, Blair walked up the front steps of her posh school with one hand attached to her forehead. Leaning her back on a fence, she exhaled slowly and closed her eyes.

"Too much to drink last night?" a voice suddenly reached her ears.

Opening her eyes, she smiled wryly at Chuck who stood in front of her with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"How much of a fool did I make of myself last night?" she asked as he laughed. "Oh God, how embarrassing was I?"

"You mean before the dancing or after the gagging?" he said, causing Blair to groan as his laugh subsided. "So you don't remember anything?"

"No, thank God," Blair said in relief. "But I remember having the weirdest dream."

"What about?" he asked, hiding his disappointment.

"I dreamt that this giant butterfly was coming at me," Blair explained with a confused frown as Chuck smiled. "God, how drunk was I?"

"You know what they say about dreams, right?" he said as she faced him. "That they usually have some sort of meaning behind them."

"Yeah, in my case the giant butterfly probably stands for everyone attacking me with questions about Nate," she said bitterly. "_That_ part I didn't forget."

Looking around the front of the school, Blair noticed how most of the students were glancing her way and whispering to themselves.

"I should have stayed home today. That bitch Gossip girl probably spilt the juice about everything moments after it happened," she said with a sigh.

"That's not the Blair Waldorf I know," Chuck exclaimed. "The one I know holds her head up high and fights. She doesn't scare too easily."

Groaning at his response, she turned to see Nate approaching them.

"I'm out of here," she said, walking inside the building just as Nate reached the fence.

"I have to talk to her," he began as Chuck faced him.

"Maybe you should just leave her alone. You'll probably just tick her off more otherwise," Chuck offered.

"I never meant to hurt her," Nate defended.

"Not hurting someone is pretty easy, Nate. You just don't do it," Chuck said.

"Don't judge me, man," Nate snapped at him.

"I'm not," Chuck began. "It's just that all you've been saying since forever is that you never meant to hurt her and that's exactly what you've been doing all this time."

"This coming from the guy who screws his way through life and only cares about his next drink and the next girl he's going to bed," Nate expressed as Chuck sighed.

"Nate, come on," he began. "Don't take this out on me."

"No, really, I want to know when you decided that you of all people could sit on a pedestal and start judging others. I mean, look at your own life. All you do is drink and screw and you don't give a damn about anyone but yourself," Nate said angrily.

"I'm going to walk away now before I say something I'll regret," he stated.

Before he walked away, he turned back to his friend once more.

"You tore the girl's heart out over and over again. Be a man and own up to it," he said and walked off.

Nate watched him leave in silence before turning and heading the other way. Walking towards Blair's locker, he leaned his back onto the one next to hers.

"Want to get out of here?" he asked as she scoffed at him.

"What happened to staying and fighting?" she asked.

"That was ten minutes ago," he said with a shrug. "Come on."

"And skip class?" Blair said in return. "I think I'll pass."

"Come on Waldorf, where's your sense of adventure?" Chuck said, nudging her arm.

"If adventure plus you equals another headache like the one I already have, I'll respectfully decline," Blair said with a fake smile.

"Sweetheart, you had those drinks before I even saw you," Chuck explained. "Still no? Your loss."

With his signature charming smile, he turned and began walking down the hall towards the main doors. Blair watched him leave, suddenly aware that all eyes in the hallway were on her. Shutting her locker door, she tossed her hair behind her shoulder and followed him out only to smile when she saw him waiting by his limousine.

"How did you know I'd come?" she asked.

"Because I know you, Waldorf," he said as they both climbed inside.

"Where to?" she asked.

"There's something I have to do," he said, staring outside his window.

She frowned at him but remained silent. After twenty minutes, the driver pulled to a stop on a private road and they got out. Blair watched with a smile as the driver handed Chuck a bouquet of lilies.

"Are those for me?" she asked, placing her hand on her heart sarcastically.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Queen B but no," he said.

"You brought me to watch you give flowers to another girl?" she asked in disbelief. "As if my self-esteem wasn't low enough?"

"Would you just shut up and follow me?" he said, walking forward.

Falling into step next to him, it wasn't until they had walked through a large gate that Blair realized where they were. Unsure what to say, she simply walked in silence until they came across the gravestone Chuck was looking for. Standing on either side of the grave, they both looked down at the stone which read: Cynthia Alexandra Bass, Devoted Mother, Wife and Friend. Realizing whose grave they were standing at, Blair gazed at him sadly.

"Hi mom, how are you?" Chuck began before kneeling down.

Brushing some of the fallen leaves away from the grave, he placed the bouquet on the soil and stared at it for a moment.

"I got you some lilies…the ones you love. Dad's not with me because he likes to come on his own, but I brought Blair with me instead," he expressed, turning to her with a soft smile. "Say hi."

"Hi Mrs. Bass," Blair began nervously. "It's been such a long time."

Turning back to the grave, Chuck sighed.

"Dad and I are getting along better than before. We can actually have a conversation without yelling or fighting these days," he said with a soft chuckle as Blair continued to watch him. "The other day, we were having dinner and we remembered that Thanksgiving when you tried to cook the turkey by yourself and you almost burnt the entire house down."

He laughed aloud at the memory as Blair smiled at him, watching the side of his face.

"I really miss those days," he said, the sadness in his voice apparent. "I really miss _you_, mom."

With that, he placed a kiss on his palm and touched the gravestone with the same hand.

"I'll see you next week," he stated before rising to his feet. "Bye mom."

With that, he turned towards her and motioned that they could leave. As they began walking side by side back towards the gate, Blair turned her face towards his.

"I'm sorry, Chuck," she began as he faced her.

"Sorry for what?" he asked with a slight frown.

"My problems seem so small compared…," she said, but her sentence trailed off.

"Don't worry about it Waldorf," he said, shrugging her concern off.

"I'm also sorry I didn't remember," she said, touching his arm and stopping them for a moment.

Offering her a sad smile, he nodded and they began walking again.

"How often do you come here?" she asked quietly.

"Once a week," he replied. "Every Monday."

"If you ever want or need someone to go with you, I will," she said as he smiled at her.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Nate used to come with me most of the time, but the last couple of years…I don't know, I guess he's had a lot on his plate."

"By running after Serena and breaking my heart?" she asked as they reached the limousine.

"That amongst other things," he said as they got inside.

"So I guess he's been a bad boyfriend _and_ a bad friend," Blair said angrily, shaking her head.

"Listen, I don't hold it against the guy so you shouldn't either," he stated. "I mean, about coming with me, not about him hurting you."

He then faced outside his window as Blair gazed at him for a long time in silence.

"Chuck," she finally said, but he refused to face her.

Touching his arm, she moved towards him as he tightened his eyes shut.

"Chuck," she whispered again, turning his face towards hers.

It was then that she saw the tears that had welled in his eyes.

"Sorry," he said, quickly wiping them away. "It just gets to me sometimes when I visit her. I'll be fine."

Ignoring his words, she pulled him into her arms and tightly embraced him. He was uncomfortable with such closeness and it took him a minute to wrap his arms around her. Rubbing his back in comfort, she held him for another few moments before leaning back.

"I'm sorry," she said again as he nodded. "The past couple days, I've seen these sides to you that I never really knew existed. Underneath all the arrogance and alcohol, you're human."

"I have my moments," he said and laughed. "But as far as I'm concerned, this little moment here will be locked away for eternity, do you understand? I'm a Bass…we _never_ do girly stuff like crying."

"The armor's back on, isn't it?" she said as he grinned at her.

"Come on, where do you want to go?" he said, changing the subject. "This morning's been too damn depressing."

"I don't know," she said, leaning back in her seat. "Want to go devise a plan on how to take Gossip girl down over lunch?"

"I love the way your mind works," he said as they continued smiling at one another.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry about the late update :)**

Chapter V

As the limousine pulled to a stop outside her home, Blair got out of the vehicle followed by Chuck who leaned his arm on the open car door.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a slight frown while he offered her a charming smile.

"I'm always fine," he replied as she smiled softly.

With that, he turned and got back in the limousine. Blair watched the vehicle pull away for a long time before heading into her house. Swinging the door open, she was surprised to see Nate waiting for her, his face draped down and his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"What do you want?" she asked in frustration, crossing her arms at her chest.

"I wanted to talk to you," he began quietly before lifting his face to hers. "Blair, I'm so sorry for everything. I'm so sorry for hurting you…again."

Staring at him for a long moment, she looked away and sighed sadly.

"You're _always_ sorry," she said in a defeated tone before walking past him. "Leave."

"But Blair…," he exclaimed, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "What can I do?"

"Nothing," she said, her voice indifferent as she yanked her arm away.

"Blair…," he began again, but she cut him off.

"God, just stop it!" she suddenly expressed, tears already formed in her eyes despite herself. "I tried _so_ hard to make things between us work, Nate! I did everything I could to make you open up to me but you turned me away every chance you got. I was never enough for you and you know what? I finally realized that _you're_ the one who's not good enough for me. I'm finished, Nate. I am finally finished with this miserable, one-sided relationship. Now get out."

Pulling her arm away, she turned and ran up the stairs before shutting her door angrily. Walking to her bed, she sat down and slowly turned towards a photo of her and Nate sitting on her bed stand. Taking it with shaky hands, she began crying heavily and fell back onto her bed, curling into a ball. Needing someone to console her, she reached for her cell phone and messaged the first person who came to her mind. After a while, Serena rushed inside the bedroom and pulled Blair into a tight embrace.

"It's okay," she said, soothing her softly as Blair continued to cry.

They stayed that way for a long time as Serena comforted her best friend. Once she had calmed down, Blair leaned back and wiped her eyes as Serena sat quietly on the bed in front of her, giving her the space to explain what happened.

"When I got home, Nate was waiting for me," she began and sniffled. "He stood there apologizing and I lost it. I yelled at him and ran up here and I just lost it, Serena. I couldn't stop crying."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Serena exclaimed as Blair sighed.

"Why does he have such an effect on me?" Blair asked angrily. "Why do I let him get to me so easily?"

"Because you love him," Serena replied.

"But do I?" Blair asked in return. "I was devastated last night when I heard him say those things…to _you_…but I also felt relieved."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"A part of me was relieved that everything was finally in the open and I could stop living this lie we've been living the past year. I can't even remember the last time he made me smile or laugh. All I did was get angry and upset at him for all the ways he'd hurt me. I'm relieved, Serena."

"I don't know what to say," Serena began, leaning back slightly. "I love Nate as a friend, I really do. But I hated the way he treated you. So if you're relieved, then I'm happy for you because that means you'll feel the pain of all of this a little less."

Smiling at her best friend, Blair pulled her into another hug. When they leaned back, Blair smiled softly as she stared into thin air and Serena noticed that her mind had drifted away.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, touching her shoulder to get her attention.

"Nothing," she began with a gentle laugh. "I was just thinking that every time I've smiled this past year, it's been because of Chuck."

"Chuck Bass?" Serena asked, somewhat surprised.

"Shocking, right?" Blair said as Serena laughed and nodded. "Did you know today was the anniversary of his mom's death?"

"Wow, I forgot all about that," she replied with a slight frown.

"He took me to her grave today," Blair explained, leaning her back on the headboard of her bed. "He seemed so different. He was talking to her as if she was standing right there and then later in the limousine when we were heading back…he cried."

"Chuck cried?" Serena asked, surprised once more.

"He seemed so lost and broken when he was crying," Blair continued. "So different from the alcohol-loving womanizer he usually is. It just got me thinking, that's all."

"Thinking about what?" Serena asked, interested in the direction the conversation was going.

"People in our lives, in our society, always tend to paint a certain picture for everyone. When they look at Chuck, they see a womanizer who loves to drink and party. When they look at Nate, they see the perfect son and the perfect boyfriend."

"So you think that because everyone's is so wrong about Nate then they're wrong about Chuck too?" Serena said as Blair nodded.

"He _cried_, Serena. And it wasn't for show or anything else. He seemed really broken," Blair responded.

Sighing softly, Serena shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I don't see Chuck revealing the inner lost boy, if it exists, to anyone but…I don't know. I mean, I've seen you guys the past couple years…before I left and after I came back. You guys have this thing between you."  
"Romantic?" Blair began and laughed. "I think I've had enough romance for one lifetime."

"I don't know but you get this spark when you're with him," Serena said with a laugh. "Maybe there is another side to him after all."

Pondering the thought for a moment, Blair let out a laugh and shook her head.

"What am I doing?" she asked aloud. "Chuck Bass? He's the last guy I'd ever think of being with and I bet anything he feels the same way about me."

With that, she rose to her feet and walked over to her dresser, staring at her own worn-out reflection in the mirror.

"You know what I want?" she asked before turning back to face her best friend. "I want to have some fun."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, getting to her feet.

"I want to go out to a club tonight," Blair replied, walking towards her closet.

"That's not exactly the high society scene, Blair," Serena began, but she cut her off.

"I'm so tired of being miserable all the time. Nate and I are over and I feel like I can finally breathe," she explained. "I want to celebrate and have some fun."

"Whatever you want," Serena said and joined her in the large walk-in-closet. "What do you want to wear?"

Thinking for a moment as she stared at her clothes, Blair smiled and removed a short black skirt and a dark red top.

"What do you think?" she asked, holding the outfit in front of her.

"You look hot," Serena replied as both girls laughed aloud.

They soon moved to the kitchen and spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out and getting to know one another again. Around seven-thirty, they had finished getting ready for the night. As Serena finished applying her makeup, Blair flipped open her cell phone and stared at Chuck's name in her contact list with a slight smile. After a few moments, she quickly messaged him. _'S and I are going to Cielo tonight. Want to come?'_ Thirty seconds passed before his reply arrived. Satisfied with his response, she placed her phone in her purse and walked over to Serena. Both girls had decided to let their hair hang loosely over their shoulders. Smiling at one another, they walked out of her bedroom, wore their coats, said goodbye to Eleanor and made their way outside. Catching a cab, they made their way to Cielo nightclub. The lineup outside was long and had stretched down the sidewalk as many young men and women waited to get inside the hot spot.

"Look at the line," Serena exclaimed as Blair smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Come on," she said, pulling her towards the bouncer who was waiting outside.

Everyone watched as they approached the man and smiled at him.

"What will it take to get in tonight?" Blair asked, standing dangerously close to the man and smiling up at him with a seductive gleam in her eyes,

"You're going to have to wait like everyone else," the man replied, smiling back at her.

"Too bad," Blair replied, removing her coat to reveal her clothes.

Turning around, she took Serena's hand and began walking off before the man's voice stopped them.

"Alright, you can go in," he exclaimed as they turned to him with a smile.

"Good choice," she said before walking past him inside.

"I can't believe we got in," Serena expressed. "They didn't even check for ID's."

"We're S and B and we look hot," Blair began. "Would _you_ card us?"

"No," Serena said as they shared a laugh.

Walking down a set of decorated stairs, they made their way to the dance floor. House music was playing in the background of the rather large arena as the DJ mixed the tunes on a small stage. Lights shined around the dance floor while a bar sat to the side and a number of tables and private booths sat at the end of the club. Walking to the end, they dropped their coats and purses at one of the private booths before heading onto the dance floor. Serena wore a gold top and a black skirt as they stepped onto the dance floor. Dancing around with one another, they were having too much fun to notice that the eyes of all the males in the club were on them.

Outside, Chuck's car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance and he got out, staring at the club as loud music made its way to his ears. Dressed in black dress pants and a black dress shirt that he had the first few buttons opened to, he grabbed his jacket and made his way past the long line towards the bouncer. As the people in the line watched him curiously, he waved at the bouncer who removed the rope for him and he walked inside without a hassle. His hair was a bit messy on his hair, but perfectly in tune to his character.

As he got off the last stair and moved towards the dance floor, he looked around the club for them. Making his way to the tables, he recognized their things and placed his jacket with theirs at the booth. As he began walking back to the dance floor, the song Destination Calabria by Alex Gaudino began playing in the background. Making his way through the people, his eyes finally landed on her. Blair was moving to the music as her hair flew from side to side. Smiling at the site before him, Chuck made his way towards them.

"Looks like the party stared without me," he expressed as both girls stopped dancing and turned towards him.

"You made it," Blair said with a large smile as he smiled back at her.

"Hey Chuck," Serena began as he faced her. "I'm sorry about your mom."

"This morning was depressing enough as it is," he exclaimed. "We're here to have fun, right?"

They both nodded as he turned back to Blair.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked aloud over the blaring music.

"Whatever you're having," she replied before dancing again as he turned to Serena and she said the same.

Making his way through the crowd towards the bar, he motioned the bartender to approach him. As he ordered the drinks and waited for them, his eyes moved back to Blair and he watched in fascination as she moved to the music. Absently smiling at her, he was pulled out of his thoughts by the bartender.

"Put it on my tab," he explained before grabbing the three shots and moving towards his group.

Handing each their drink, they downed it and laughed at the bitter aftertaste. Placing the empty shot glasses on a nearby table, Chuck walked back towards them and they began dancing as the music switched to Hit My Heart by the Benassi Brothers. The club erupted in applause at the choice of song and the DJ simply raised the volume in response. After a long while, they walked to their private booth and Blair and Chuck sat next to one another with Serena sitting in front of them.

"Are you tired?" he asked, moving a strand of hair from her face as she turned to him.

"No," she said and shook her head. "I'm having fun."

Serena simply sat back and watched the two of them as a secret smile crept to her face.

"Thanks for coming tonight," Blair said softly, her eyes a bit misty.

"You're welcome," he said with a slight laugh and faced Serena. "She can't hold her alcohol that well, can she?"

"I'm not drunk _yet_," Blair defended as Serena laughed and rose to her feet.

"I'm going to find the restroom," she said before walking off.

Turning her body to face Chuck, Blair moved closer to him and placed her hand on his lower waist.

"I'm really sorry about your mom," she exclaimed sadly as he smiled at her.

"I'm sorry about Nate," he replied as she nodded and began drawing circles on his stomach.

He tensed a bit under her touch as she moved her fingers up and down his stomach, pulling the shirt gently out of his pants and moving it up to reveal his skin. As her eyes focused on his body, he simply sat frozen and stared at her. Nervously placing her fingers on his skin, Blair began drawing shapes on him, feeling an electric shock run through her body when their skins touched. Unsure of what to do but needing to get his composure back, Chuck slowly grabbed her hand with his, causing her to look into his eyes.

"Listen, why don't I go and get us some more drinks?" he asked, slowly rising to his feet and fixing his shirt.

Smiling up at him, she nodded as he walked away from her and exhaled heavily. Sitting back in her seat, Blair leaned her head back into the leather and closed her eyes, feeling a bit dizzy from the alcohol. After a few minutes, realizing that no one from her group had returned, Blair opened her eyes and rose to her feet. Walking towards the dance floor, she searched around for everyone and her eyes finally landed on the last person she thought she'd see that night: her ex. Nate was having a heated conversation with Serena at the other end of the club and his hands were on her arms, pulling her closer towards him. Feeling the sting from the tears she knew would eventually form, Blair turned away from the scene and inhaled a few times to compose herself. Looking around once more, she noticed Chuck waiting at the bar for the bartender. Smiling at him, she tossed her hair behind her shoulders and walked straight towards him as the DJ came on the microphone.

"We're going to change things around a bit here," he exclaimed before playing a new track.

When she reached him, she grabbed his hand and began leading Chuck onto the dance floor to his surprise as Ayo Technology began playing in the background by 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake. Once they were on the dance floor, Blair stepped incredibly close to him and began moving slowly to the music. As she swayed her hips from side to side, she turned so her back was pressed firmly into him. She took his hands in hers and guided them around her body as Chuck stared at her in shock. As the music played in the background, she turned to face him and moved her hands to the hem of his shirt. Slipping her hands under the cloth, she began digging her finger nails into his skin while pressing her lips into his neck, sending an electric shock through his body and driving him crazy. Their dance was slow and seductive as she placed a kiss onto his hot skin while his hands moved to her back. Pulling her closer to him, he simply gazed at her as Blair's hands moved up to his chest under his shirt and slowly dragged her nails up and down his skin. His hands moved into her hair and he pulled her face somewhat back to fully gaze at her. Her eyes sparkled in the light that shined around the club. Just as he was about to lean forward and capture her mouth with his, Chuck's eyes caught hold of something. Focusing a bit more on it, he noticed Nate and Serena arguing quietly as held onto the blond tightly. Realizing the reason behind Blair's sudden seduction on the dance floor, he pulled away from her and untangled his hands from her hair.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.

"Nate's here," he said, facing her as she shrugged her shoulders.

"So what?" she asked in return and pulled him to her again.

Placing her lips on his skin, she began trailing kisses down his neck as he shut his eyes in pain and finally pushed her back.

"Blair, I know why you're acting this way…why you're dancing with me like this," he stated. "You saw Nate arguing with Serena."

"So you think I saw them together and got so devastated that I pulled you out here and began seducing you?" she asked angrily.

"Blair…," he began but she pulled away from him.

"Don't flatter yourself," she snapped at him. "All I wanted was to have some fun and obviously you're not the guy for that."

Before she walked away from him, she turned back.

"You're actually the last guy I'd _ever_ even think about being with," Blair exclaimed before pushing her way through the crowd and towards the bar.

Chuck watched her go sadly before running a hand through his hair and mentally swearing to himself. Reaching the bar, Blair sat down on one of the stools and buried her hands in her hair.

"A beautiful girl like you shouldn't be alone at the bar," a voice suddenly came.

Leaning her face up, she saw a man in his early twenties sitting on her right. He was dressed in black jeans and a white shirt with wavy blond hair. Looking back into the crowd, her eyes landed on Chuck and she noticed him making his way towards her.

"You want to dance?" she asked as his eyes lit up.

"I thought you'd never ask," he expressed as they both rose to their feet.

"Blair…," Chuck began when he reached her but she offered him an icy stare.

"You're officially off the hook. I found someone who wants to have fun," she stated before pushing past him.

"Wait…," he began, grabbing her arm and spinning her around.

She felt a burn in her skin where he held her that she couldn't explain and was unwilling to think about at the moment. Pulling her arm away, she took a step back.

"You had your chance," she said before leading the other man into the crowd.

He stood at the bar and watched them dance with one another for a long time before sadly making his way back to their booth. Grabbing his jacket, he moved through the crowd until he reached Nate and Serena.

"Nate, listen to me okay?" Serena was saying. "I need you to understand this. It doesn't matter how we feel or don't feel. Blair is my best friend and we're just starting to work through our problems. I love her and we've been friends since we were babies. I'm _not_ going to hurt her again."

"Hey," Chuck said approaching them as they both faced him.

"Hey," Serena replied.

"I'm heading out," he exclaimed as Serena frowned at him.

"Why?" she asked. "Where's Blair?"

"She's dancing with some guy right now," he replied and faced Nate. "She saw you guys."

"Oh God," Serena said in sorrow.

"Just keep an eye on her, alright?" Chuck stated before heading out of the club.

Before Nate could say anything more, Serena held her hand up to him.

"Don't," she said in exhaustion. "Just go, Nate."

With that, she turned and began heading into the crowd as Nate sighed and followed his best friend outside. When he reached Chuck on the sidewalk, he stretched his hands out in front of him.

"Why does everything have to be so difficult?" he asked aloud as Chuck faced him.

"I don't know whether to hit you or laugh in your face," he began as Nate frowned.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"_Blair_, the girl you were dating for years came here tonight to get away from everything. And for one damn night, you couldn't leave her alone," he expressed.

"I came here for Serena, not Blair," Nate corrected.

"That's exactly my point," Chuck snapped at him angrily. "Don't you get how much you're hurting Blair by constantly being around Serena and professing you love for her in front of Blair? Or are you that stupid?"

"Where's all of this coming from?" Nate asked. "Aren't you always saying 'seal the deal, tap that ass'?"

"Not when Blair gets run over in the process," he expressed and sighed. "Sometimes you can be a real asshole, Nate."

With that, he got into his car and left the club as Nate stayed back in confusion. Back inside, the man turned to Blair with a smile.

"I'm going to get a drink. Do you want anything?" he asked her.

"Just some water," she replied, fanning herself.

"I'll be right back," he said before heading to the bar.

Once he had ordered the drinks, he walked over to an empty seat at the end of the bar and looked around himself. When he was sure that no one was watching, he removed a small pill from his pocket and dropped it into her glass. Moving the glass in circles to dissolve the pill, he walked back towards Blair and handed her the drink. Unaware of what he had done, she drank the liquid quickly as the man smiled at her. Moments later, Serena grabbed Blair's hand and spun her around.

"Blair, I've been looking all over for you," she began. "I'm so sorry about Nate."

"How did he know we were here?" Blair asked her angrily.

"I swear I didn't say anything," Serena expressed. "Maybe Chuck mentioned it to him before coming her."

Looking away, she was unable to hide her upset eyes.

"Blair, maybe we should just get out of here," Serena began but she shook her head.

"No," she replied firmly. "I said I wanted to have some fun tonight and that's what I'm going to do."

"Why did Chuck leave so suddenly?" Serena asked as Blair scoffed bitterly.

"I threw myself at him and he turned me down," she stated, unable to hide the sadness in her eyes as she said the words. "Now I found someone who won't."

"Blair, come on," Serena pleaded with her. "Let's just go home."

"You go," Blair replied. "I don't want you here anyway. Why don't you give Nate a call and I'll stay here with Ric."

Grabbing the man's hand, she led him back onto the dance floor as Serena watched them leave. Not wanting to leave her friend alone with the man, she struggled through the crowd to follow them.

"How about we take our drinks to a room and just chill for a while?" Ric asked her as she suddenly felt dizzy.

"Sitting down seems like a good idea," she said as he led her through the club to one of the back VIP rooms.

"Blair!" Serena exclaimed over the loud music as she pushed her way through everyone.

But she was too late and the man had already locked the door behind him, sealing him and Blair inside the private room. Knocking hard on the door and finally banging on it, she quickly grabbed her cell phone and dialed the only person she knew would help. Inside the room, Blair sat down on the couch as her eyes slowly closed.

"I'm so tired," she began as she slid back in the leather seat and went unconscious.

Staring down at the beautiful girl, the man slowly approached her and placed his hand on her top. A few minutes later, as Serena continued pulling on the door knob, Chuck ran back inside the club with the bouncer directly behind him. Once they reached Serena, the bouncer slid his key in the slot and managed to open the door. Moving aside, he allowed Chuck to enter first and what he saw made his heart stop. An unconscious Blair was laying on the couch with her top removed, leaving her in her undergarment only on top and the man standing over her with his pants unbuckled and at his ankles.

"You son of a bitch!" he snapped as he charged at Ric and pushed him hard into the wall.

Serena gasped when she saw her best friend and quickly rushed to her side as Chuck punched Ric hard in his face.

"What did you give her?" he shouted, pulling the man back up and punching him again.

"Nothing man!" Ric began, but Chuck was relentless and continued hitting him.

Once he was doubled-over and blood was trickling down the side of his face, he finally held his hands up.

"Rohypnol," he expressed, spitting out blood.

"You're disgusting," Chuck spat at him.

Kicking him one last time, he rushed back to the two girls and removed his coat, draping it over Blair's body. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her out of the room as the bouncer took hold of Ric. Many people watched them in confusion as Chuck carried her out to his car and sat in the back seat with Blair in his lap and Serena up front.

"Take us to my place," he told his driver who quickly obeyed as Chuck faced a frightened Serena. "I don't want her mom to see this."

Nodding, Serena watched as Chuck tightened the jacket around the petite girl's frame and cradled her in his arms. He held onto her tightly and moved a few strands of hair from her face with his free hand. After a few minutes, they arrived at Chuck's hotel and he carried her upstairs with Serena in tow. Going inside his suite, he carried Blair to the bedroom and laid her down gently on his bed. Grabbing a shirt from his dresser, he sat her up and slipped her arms through the cloth. Buttoning a couple of the buttons, he laid her down and tossed his coat on a nearby chair before placing the covers on her body. Taking a deep breath, he sat down on her side as Serena sat on the other side of the bed. They both gazed down at the sleeping girl in silence for a long time before Serena spoke up.

"I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't…," she began and bit her tongue.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "I'm glad you called me."

"Will she be okay?" Serena asked, tears in her eyes.

"She'll wake up not remembering anything," he replied. "But we still need to watch her overnight just in case."

Nodding softly, she sighed aloud and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know who she was angry at more," she began as he faced her. "Me for talking to Nate? Nate for being such a jerk? Or you for turning her down?"

"Probably Nate," Chuck said with a sigh.

"Or maybe you," Serena said as he frowned at her. "Why did you turn her down?"

"Because she was only dancing with me like that after she saw you guys," he replied sadly.

Looking away from her, he gazed down at Blair for a moment before getting to his feet.

"Do me a favor and give her mom a call. Tell her she's staying with you for the night," he stated. "I'll get us some coffee."

"Okay," she said as he came to walk away. "Chuck?"

Turning to face her at the door frame, he placed his hands in his pockets. "What?"

"Thank you," she exclaimed sincerely as he nodded and walked off.

Turning back to Blair, Serena squeezed her hand for a moment before removing her cell phone and dialing a number. A few minutes later, Chuck returned with two cups of coffee and he handed one to Serena who took a small sip and placed it on the night stand like him.

"I'm going to use the restroom, okay," she said, slowly rising to her feet as he nodded at her.

Once she had left the room, he turned back to Blair and gazed down at her. Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Touching his forehead then with hers, he closed his eyes and breathed quietly. Finally leaning back, he sighed and placed his elbows on his knees, burying his hands in his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

Opening her eyes, Blair looked around her strange surroundings and frowned. She was lying in a bed in a room that was not her own. Slowly turning her head, she noticed Serena sleeping soundly in a chair by her side. Pushing herself to sit up, she realized that she was wearing a men's shirt as the covers fell down. Touching her forehead from the painful headache she was experiencing, she leaned forward and touched Serena's knee. The blond immediately awoke and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hey," she said with a large smile. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, just groggy and I have a really bad headache," Blair replied, looking around the room once more. "Where are we?"

"We're at Chuck's place," Serena stated.

"What are you talking about?" Blair asked with a frown. "What happened last night?"

Before Serena could answer, Chuck stepped into the room from his small balcony. His eyes were worn-out from lack of sleep and he looked incredibly tired.

"Hi," he said, walking towards them with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a worried expression on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a really bad headache," she stated.

"I'll get you some aspirin," he said and walked out of the room, looking rather uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with him?" Blair asked, noticing his odd behavior.

"What do you remember about last night?" Serena asked quietly.

"I remember Nate showing up and talking to you," she began. "Then I danced with Chuck but we got into an argument. That's all I remember."

Looking down nervously, Serena let out a shaky sigh which worried Blair.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You met this guy and started dancing with him," she began to explain. "He slipped a roofie into your drink, Blair."

"Oh my God," Blair began, fear quickly creeping into her eyes.

"No, nothing happened! He didn't hurt you!" Serena assured her as Blair's grip on the covers slightly loosened. "But he almost did. Blair, I tried to get the door open but the guy had locked it from the other side…one of those VIP rooms. So I called Chuck. He had left the club but he came back with the bouncer and they opened the door."

Both girls stayed silent for a moment before she continued.

"You were unconscious on the couch. He had…he had removed your top and had…his pants were unbuckled," Serena explained, the words difficult for her to form as Blair wrapped her arms around her body, tears forming in her eyes. "But nothing happened. We got there in time. He didn't touch you, Blair."

"Oh my God," Blair choked out as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Wanting to comfort her friend, Serena moved forward and enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"It's okay," she expressed, soothing her softly as Blair quivered.

From outside the door, Chuck stood there in silence having seen and heard everything. A mixture of anger, sorrow and fear filled his veins as he remembered seeing her lying unconscious on the couch last night. Closing his eyes, he moved out of the door frame and leaned his back on the wall, exhaling heavily. The sounds of Blair sobbing broke his heart into pieces and affected more than he thought it would. Needing to get away from the scene, he placed the pills and the glass of water on a nearby table and came to walk away when a voice stopped her.

"Wait!" Blair's shaky voice called as he stopped in his tracks.

Turning around slowly, he saw Blair standing behind him in her skirt and his shirt, looking both defeated and scared.

"Thank you," she cried, the sadness in her voice breaking his heart once more. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't…or what would have happened."

Opening his arms to her, he was surprised at how quickly Blair ran to him and how tightly she clung onto his body. He simply stood there and tightened his grip on her, allowing her to cry as Serena watched from the door. After a few minutes, he leaned back and smiled at her.

"You look good in my clothes," Chuck expressed, wanting to lighten the mood.

Swatting him gently, Blair laughed softly and came to wipe her tears away when he stopped her. She watched him in silence as he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs and wiped the tears from her face.

"I'll never let anything happen to you," he suddenly said, his voice more serious than ever before. "I promise."

Before Blair was able to reply, he leaned forward and placed a long kiss on her forehead.

"Why don't you guys just stay here for a bit and relax. I'll go get us some food," he said and walked away.

Blair felt cold at his sudden departure and once he had left the suite, she walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed once more, placing the covers over her legs.

"I'm so stupid," she began. "How can I be such an idiot, Serena?"

"Seeing Nate set you off," she replied. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Blair said quietly.

"You seemed pretty angry at Chuck too," Serena said as Blair looked up. "Apparently, you guys were dancing and he turned you down."

"I remember that," Blair said after a moment. "We were dancing so close and then he noticed Nate and stopped me. He said I was behaving that way because I was hurt seeing you guys together. I guess he had every right."

"He was up all night," Serena exclaimed as Blair looked at her. "I fell asleep but he sat up with you all night."

A small smile covered her lips as Blair ran a hand through her hair. Her smile slowly vanished and the fear from before reappeared.

"If Chuck hadn't gotten there when he did…," she began, but Serena stopped her.

"Stop it," she exclaimed firmly. "Don't think about that. What matters is that he did and that guy never touched you."

Nodding, Blair buried her face in her hands and let out a loud sigh.

"I was so horrible to him last night," she began, wanting to get her mind off of what had almost happened to her.

"Chuck? He knows you're hurting over Nate. He won't hold it against you," Serena stated before smiling wryly. "You know, I understand what you meant yesterday about there being another side to him. He was so worried when he saw you unconscious. He beat the guy pretty bad and got him to say what he had slipped into your drink. And he carried you out of the club and all the way here. He just sat here by the side of the bed and watched you sleep all night."

Blair's heart began beating quickly at the words, but she was unsure why.

"The past few days he's been my knight in shining armor," Blair said with a soft laugh. "Who would have ever thought?"

Moments later, the door opened and Chuck walked back inside the bedroom carrying two bags of takeout food. Placing the bags on the bed, he grabbed the aspirin and water from the table outside before sitting down.

"What were you guys talking about?" he asked, removing the food from the bags.

Both girls shared a smile before Blair turned to him and placed her hand gently on his arm.

"Thank you Chuck," she said as their eyes locked. "Not just for last night, but for the past few days. You've been really good to me."

"You thanked me once already," he exclaimed. "You don't have to say it again."

And with that, he dismissed her words and bit into the sandwich he had gotten. Nodding at him, she downed the two pills before taking a small bite from her own food. After they had finished eating, Serena had been called home by her mother Lily. Promising to call Blair later during the day to check up on her, she left the suite, leaving Chuck and Blair alone together.

"So do you want me to take you home?" he asked as she nodded, getting to her feet.

They both noticed that she was still wearing his shirt with nothing else to change into.

"Keep it," he said with a grin. "Looks better on you anyway."

With that, he removed a coat from his closet and handed it to her so she would stay warm. Wrapping the expensive coat around her body, she tied her hair in a ponytail from a headband from her purse and followed him towards the main door. The ride down the elevator was a quiet one, neither sure of what to say to the other. Once they got into his car, Chuck gave his driver the address and they took off. Glancing at her from the corner of her eyes, he noticed Blair fidgeting with her fingers.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she faced him.

"I just can't stop thinking about last night…about what almost happened," she said quietly.

Unsure of what to say to comfort her, Chuck decided on the only thing he knew might help her. Pulling Blair close to him, he wrapped both of his arms around her as she curled her legs beneath her and buried her face in his chest. They both took in the comfort of one another's close presence as Blair inhaled the faint scent of his cologne. Sitting in comfortable silence, he rubbed her back and arms as she placed her hands on his chest.

"Thank you," she whispered.

They exchanged no more words but simply sat in each other's arms until the car eventually came to a stop. Not wanting to break apart from him, Blair sighed when she realized he was moving. Letting go of her grip on his body, she followed him out of the car.

"Do you want me to walk you in?" he asked, leaning his back on the side of the car as she stood in front of him and shook her head.

"I'll be alright," she replied and cleared her throat. "I made your day worse for you yesterday, didn't I?"

"No you didn't," he said, shaking his head and dismissing her claim.

"It was the anniversary of your mom's death and I made it even worse," she said sadly as he stopped her.

"Yesterday was not your fault, alright?" he said firmly as she looked into his eyes. "And it's over now."

Nodding, she took a deep breath and smiled. Leaning in, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and lingered there for a moment. Neither wanted to move away from the other so they simply stood there, staring into one another's eyes. Unable to hold in how he was feeling, Chuck groaned aloud and placed his hands on her back, pulling her in closer to him. As his hands moved to the sides of her face and drew her to him, Blair bit her lip nervously. All of a sudden, a voice pulled them out of their trance.

"Hi sweetheart," Eleanor exclaimed as Chuck groaned in disappointment and looked away.

Realizing how close they had been to kissing, Blair moved away from him in shock and turned towards her mother.

"Hi mom," she said, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Hi Mrs. Waldorf," Chuck expressed.

"Hello Charlie," she said with an amused look on her face. "Would you like to come in for some breakfast?"

"No, I'm good," he replied and faced Blair. "I got to go."

Without so much as a goodbye, he ducked into his car and disappeared. Blair watched him leave, more confused than ever before heading towards her mom.

"Did you have a fun time last night?" Eleanor asked, closing the door behind them as they walked into the kitchen and sat at the stools behind the counter.

"It was eventful," Blair replied quietly, looking down at her hands.

"Blair, was I seeing things or were you and Chuck Bass kissing outside?" Eleanor asked in a serious tone, causing her daughter to look up.

"We didn't," Blair stated. "We were about to, but…"

"Blair, I don't need to remind you that, that boy has a reputation of being a ladies man or whatever they call it nowadays," Eleanor said in a stern, motherly tone.

"He's not like that," Blair cut in. "He's so different when he's around me, mom. He's nice and kind and warm."

"Are we talking about Bart Bass's son?" Eleanor asked in surprise. "The same boy who has slept with more girls in Manhattan than Sinatra back in the day?"

"Mom!" Blair said in shock. "How do you know anything about…what Chuck does?"

"I may be your mother, but even I hear the gossip," Eleanor replied with a wry smile. "We do fall in the same social circles, Blair…yours is just younger than mine."

"Mom, I don't know what to say," Blair began. "It's just that he's been so good to me this past week."

"A week of kindness doesn't eradicate a lifetime of…let's just say certain behavior," Eleanor exclaimed.

"That's the thing, though. I think everyone's wrong about him," Blair defended. "I think most of what people hear is exactly that: gossip. There's no truth behind it."

"Blair…," Eleanor began.

"He took me to his mother's grave yesterday," she said, causing Eleanor to bite her tongue. "And he cried. The Chuck Bass people say they know…would he cry?"

Sighing, Eleanor shook her head.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," she expressed. "I know about you and Nathaniel…and how he hurt you again."

"But how…?" Blair came to ask.

"Same circles, remember honey?" Eleanor said as Blair laughed softly. "I'm so sorry that he broke your heart. You deserve so much better than that."

Nodding, Blair looked away but Eleanor turned her face back towards her.

"What Nathaniel did was very wrong. He hurt you over and over again and even after you ended things, he didn't have the decency to let things settle for a while before going after Serena," she stated. "But I don't think that Charlie is good for you either. I know you say he's been good to you this past week, but can you honestly say that you're positive that he's changed? Or that everyone has read him wrong his entire life?"

Looking at her mother in silence, a confused look appeared on her face.

"Honey, I trust your instincts. You're a smart girl and I know that you will make the right choice. If you think Charlie is good enough for you, then I will try and accept that," Eleanor said. "I just don't want you to rush into anything or get hurt again. I couldn't bear the thought. Lilly had to stop me from attacking Nathaniel yesterday."

Laughing aloud, Blair leaned forward and embraced her mother tenderly. "I love you, mom."

"Me too," Eleanor replied with a smile as they leaned back.

"I'm going to take a bath," Blair said, getting to her feet and walking off.

"And I'm not even going to ask why you're wearing a shirt and coat that doesn't belong to your gender," Eleanor called as Blair gave her a quick smile over her shoulder and ran up the stairs.

Once she was in her bedroom, Blair removed the coat and placed it carefully on her bed. Starting a hot bath, she removed her clothes and quickly got inside the bath tub, relaxing as the warm water soothed her sour muscles. Closing her eyes, she sat in silence for a few minutes before every emotion she had been feeling the past few days erupted and the tears flowed down her cheeks. Hugging her knees tightly in the bath tub, she allowed the tears to fall until she finally calmed down. Almost half an hour later, she got out of the bath and dried herself. Walking back into her bedroom, Blair immediately moved to where his shirt and coat were lying on her bed. Wearing the shirt once more and her own pajama bottoms, she sat down on the bed and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth from the shirt and inhaling Chuck's scent once more. Last week, everything in her life had seemed so perfect. Now, everything had changed. As Blair opened her eyes and caught her own reflection staring back at her from her dresser mirror, she realized that everything was far from perfect. The only thought that had brought her peace throughout this tumultuous week was of the boy she had sworn to hate years ago…the same boy who had cared and been there for her every step of the way.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

The rest of the week had gone by excruciatingly slow and to Blair's disappointment, Chuck and his father had flown out to Monaco for a few days. Blair had spent these days with her mother and Serena, trying to get a hold back on her life. Hearing the door bell ringing downstairs, she left her room and walked towards it, being the only one at home. Swinging the door open, her smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a frustrated frown.

"What do you want, Nate?" she asked, stepping back inside her home.

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly and after a moment's thinking, she finally let him in.

Turning to face her he sighed, unsure of what to say.

"_What_, Nate?" she finally snapped at him.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to you…about what almost happened to you," he began, taking Blair aback by his words.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him.

"I know…how you were almost raped," he replied.

Blair immediately looked away when he mentioned that single word and eventually looked back.

"Who told you?" she demanded.

"Chuck did," he said and Blair felt a pang of betrayal in her heart.

"Well, I'm fine now," she said, putting on her best brave face. "Nothing happened."

"I know you're not fine, Blair," Nate expressed, walking closer to her.

"Why are you here, Nate?" she asked him weakly.

"I want you to give us a second chance," he stated, his words causing her to chuckle.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked in surprise. "Just two days ago, you were declaring your undying love for Serena and now you want _me_ back?"

"Serena and I can never be together, I know that now," he explained. "I love _you_, Blair. It's always been you."

"Really?" she said, not believing a single word he was saying. "And what exactly brought forth this sudden realization?"

"When I heard that you almost got hurt, everything became clear to me," he replied. "I was obsessed with Serena. She was a fantasy but then I realized that my reality was my true fantasy. You, Blair. I'm sorry for hurting you. Please give me another chance."

"You are so unbelievable," Blair began, shaking her head and walking away from him. "Just get out."

"But Blair…," he began, but she turned to him with anger laced in her tone.

"Get out!" she snapped at him.

Sighing, he slowly turned and walked towards the door, but then turned around to face her once more.

"I hope you're not waiting for Chuck to say these things to you," he began.

"It's none of your business either way," Blair replied.

"Then it won't matter to you that he called me this morning from Monaco telling me what a great time he's been having with this girl Talia that he hooked up with over there," he finished.

The sadness in her eyes was apparent as Nate turned and walked out the door. Staring at the space he had just occupied, Blair's lip began slightly quivering as she backed into a wall. She was unsure why this information was having such an effect on her, but it felt as if someone had broken her heart in two.

Staring out of the car window, Chuck watched as the many individuals went about their own days. The sun was peeking through the many clouds in the sky, its rays finding their way to the ground below.

"Charlie," Bart's voice came from his right.

Turning his face towards his father's, Chuck smiled wryly.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a slight frown.

"I'm fine," he replied blankly.

"It's just that whenever we go to Monaco, you're always pretty upbeat and eager to have a good time," Bart began. "The past couple days, you've been down and really quiet."

"I guess I just wasn't that into it this time," he said and turned back towards the window.

Leaning his forehead on the window, he sighed heavily as a memory washed over him from the morning he and his father had left.

_Stepping out of his balcony, Chuck walked towards his front door. Swinging it open, he smiled as his best friend walked in._

_"Nathaniel," he greeted happily. "What brings you to my home this early in the morning?"_

_"What is this?" he demanded, shoving his open cell phone in Chuck's face._

_His photo album was open and the picture he was asking about was of Chuck and Blair almost kissing in front of her home the other day, right before Eleanor had caught them. Chuck's face immediately fell from seeing the picture and he took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets and sighing. One day he would honestly kill Gossip Girl._

_"It's nothing," he replied._

_"Nothing?!" Nate snapped at him. "It looks like something to me! It looks like you guys were kissing!"_

_"We didn't, alright," Chuck explained. "Her mom interrupted us before anything happened."_

_"But if she hadn't, then you would have, wouldn't you?" Nate asked._

_Sighing, Chuck came to answer when Nate's fist suddenly collided with his face._

_"What the hell, Nate?" Chuck expressed, pulling away and touching his sore cheek._

_"How could you?" Nate barked at him. _

_"Why the hell do you even care?" Chuck snapped back at him. "She's not your girlfriend anymore and even when she was, you treated that girl worse than the dirt under your shoes!"_

_"You have no idea what you're talking about," Nate began, but his friend cut him off._

_"Just the other day you were declaring how much you love Serena and now you're here all hot and bothered over Blair," Chuck exclaimed. "Pick one!"_

_Both boys stared at one another in heated silence, both breathing heavily._

_"You're not good enough for her," Nate began with a disgusted look in his eyes. "She deserves someone better than you."_

_ "You're one to talk," Chuck said with a scoff._

_"What she and I had was special. Do you really believe that she'll toss it all away for you?" Nate exclaimed. _

_"You cheated on her and broke her heart over and over again," Chuck replied. "How is it that you're forgetting all of this?"_

_"She'll forgive me and take me back," Nate stated. "She always does."_

_"Not this time, Nate," Chuck replied and sighed. "And God, it's not like I'm with the girl anyway."_

_"Good thing because she deserves someone who will love and respect her. She deserves someone who will take care of her and be there for her…not a womanizing, alcoholic lowlife like you," he snapped._

_"Nate...," Chuck began, but his friend continued._

_"Your relationship with your father is shaky at best," he stated. "And let's not forget your mother. She had so many affairs that no one even knows if you're really Bart's son."_

_Chuck was taken aback by his friend's words and took a step away from him._

_"Take that back," he said quietly._

_"Why, are you afraid of the truth, Chuck?" Nate snapped. "Like mother like son. She was as much of a whore in her time as you are…."_

_With that, Chuck attacked Nate in a fit of rage, causing both boys to fall onto the ground. After tussling for a couple minutes, they let each other go and rose to their feet._

_"You stay away from Blair, you hear me," Nate began, wiping a bit of blood from his lower lip. _

_"You don't even want her," Chuck said quietly._

_"Stay away from both of us," Nate said, ignoring his words before walking out._

_Leaning his back on the leather sofa in his suite, Chuck touched the side of his face in pain before walking over to the fireplace. Taking a photo of his mother in his hands, he stared down at it as a single tear streamed down his cheek and fell onto the glass frame._

Sighing at the memory, Chuck opened his door when the car pulled to a stop and got out. With a small wave to his father, he walked inside his father's hotel lobby and head upstairs in the elevator. Getting off at the penthouse floor, he head down the hall and finally entered his suite. He was surprised to see Blair standing there, waiting for him. Smiling at her happily, he closed his door and approached her.

"Hey Waldorf," he began.

"Why did you tell him about the other night?" she suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?" he said, noticing her foul mood.

"About the club…and what almost happened there," she stated. "Why did you tell Nate?"

"Sweetheart, I didn't tell him anything about that," he replied, walking over to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "He heard it from someone else, not me."

Sighing, she slightly shook her head, unsure of who to believe. But an idea appeared in her mind and she faced him again.

"How was Monaco?" she asked him.

"Terrible," he replied with a short laugh. "It was long and tedious. I wanted to come back right away."

Smiling at his honest response, Blair realized that Nate had lied to her. Unsure of the reason, she pushed him out of her mind and leaned her elbows over the counter separating them. He couldn't help but smile at her.

"How've you been?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from hers.

"Good," she replied, assuring him. "It's been dull around here without you."

"Of course it has," he agreed, smiling at her smugly.

Having missed his arrogance, Blair laughed lightly.

"So," she began and cleared her throat. "As you already know, the debutant ball is coming in a couple days."

"And?" he said, taking a sip of water.

"Well, I figured that you and I could go together," she stated, hiding the nervousness in her voice.

"You mean, like a date?" he asked her.

Blair was unsure why, but she felt anxious at the thought. Chuck, on the other hand, remembered his discussion with Nate again and as much as he wanted to say yes to her, he sighed inward and knew what he had to do.

"In case you forgot, I don't date," he stated, knowing that Blair would only back down if she hated him.

"Don't flatter yourself," she said with a smile. "I just thought that since I'm currently available and you have no one, we could attend together."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Queen B, but Nicollet already asked me and I said yes," he said with a grin. "I mean, have you seen her body? Smoking hot."

Blair was taken aback by his words and frowned at him.

"Nicollet?" she asked. "But I thought…I mean, didn't we…?"

"Are you talking about that kiss? Or almost kiss?" he asked her as she looked into his eyes. "Don't get all mushy on me, Waldorf."

"Mushy?" she asked angrily.

"I saw an opportunity and I went for it," he said, taking another sip of water.

She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before clearing her throat.

"Well, have fun with Nicollet then. I'm sure she'll give you a night to remember. Maybe I should go and give Nate a call. After all, he did warn me what a jerk you could be."

"I'm sure he did," Chuck said and looked away for a moment to compose himself. "Tell me, what's more pathetic than a girl calling her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her to take her to a ball?"

"Better than the skank you'll be bringing," she snapped back.

"Tread carefully, Waldorf. You're starting to sound like a jealous girlfriend," he said with a smile.

"Stupid me, I know," she said with a laugh. "How crazy was I to actually think for a moment that you had any resemblance of a heart?"

Her words broke his heart in pieces, but he hid his sadness well in front of her.

"Well, I'm glad that I now know who you truly are…a cold, selfish and uncaring son of a bitch," she said with a fake smile plastered on her face. "Have fun with Nicollet. You truly deserve each other."

And with that, she grabbed her purse and stormed out of his suite, slamming the door shut behind her. When she was gone, his fake grin left his face and was replaced with a look of guilt and pain. Slowly walking to the door, he gently placed his hand on the wood and sighed. Outside, Blair stared at the door for a moment before placing her hand on the wood as well, tears forming in her eyes. Taking a step back, she turned and hurried down the hallway. Inside, Chuck groaned aloud and threw his bottle of water angrily across the suite.


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is rather small, but it sets up the next one so enjoy :)**

Chapter VIII

The Debutant Ball: a boring event for members of high society to showcase their daughters on display. At least, that's how Chuck saw the occasion. Standing in front of his mirror in his school uniform and signature scarf around his neck, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed. Although to the rest of society he was portrayed as a party animal who mingled with the best in his social class, deep down he truly hated attending these events. He'd rather spend the evening with Nate, stay at home with a good bottle of vodka or visit his mother's grave. But those options were all out of his grasp. He and Nate were on the outs, he was too depressed to visit his mother and the alcohol would have to wait. Even though he had hurt Blair earlier that morning in order to salvage his friendship with Nate and had vowed not to attend the event after their confrontation, a small part of him wanted to see Blair in her debutant gown. He knew that she would look spectacular and even if it was only from afar, he still wanted to be able to admire her beauty in silence.

Groaning aloud, he walked over to his bed where a rental tuxedo was lying. He could have gone with the normal tuxedo that a lot of the guys would be wearing, but a more gentleman-like suit had captured his eye. It was a crisp black suit with a black vest and a white tie to go with it, hardly anything anyone thought Chuck would wear. Holding up the piece of fabric in front of him, he stared at his reflection in the mirror and sighed once more. Blair would probably be there with Nate and the idea of them dancing with one another, much less doing anything else, made Chuck feel sick to his stomach. Pushing such thoughts aside, he began unbuttoning the suit and began getting ready for the event.

In her bedroom, Blair stared at her own reflection in the mirror. She was standing in her white satin negligee with her hair hanging in loose curls around her shoulders. Why were things going so wrong for her these days, she thought to herself. She wanted more than anything to go back to a time when things were much simpler…when it was her and Nate with Chuck and Serena playing third wheel. But staring at her reflection, Blair realized that, that wasn't what she wanted at all for she had undergone a transformation over the years. Before, she had been a girl who could be easily swayed from one direction to another and who would look past all of the faults in her seemingly 'perfect' life with nothing but naiveté. But times had changed and Blair was much more headstrong; she was a force to be reckoned with. So why did Chuck's rejections towards her two times in a row slice her heart so deeply? The first was at the club when they were dancing and then earlier that morning when he had thrown everything in her face and reduced her to nothing more than another attempt at a notch on his royal belt. Why did she care so much if he didn't want her?

True, she had cried a lot during the course of her relationship with Nate and after they had broken up the previous week, but she had come out of it with relief and hope for the future. One thing was for sure: she was better off without him. But why did his best friend's refusal to kiss her sting her the way it did? Why did what he thought of her matter so much to Blair? Staring at her own reflection, she remembered Serena's words: _'__He was so worried when he saw you unconscious. He beat the guy pretty bad and got him to say what he had slipped into your drink. And he carried you out of the club and all the way here. He just sat here by the side of the bed and watched you sleep all night.'_ So what had changed between their intense closeness of a few days back and his nonchalant behavior towards her that morning? Although Blair had been pretty nasty in her response towards him, something in the pit of her stomach told her that Chuck wasn't telling the entire truth. Even though he was often arrogant, pretentious and even a jerk, the Chuck she knew was the boy who had cried in the limousine after visiting his mother's grave. The Chuck she knew was the boy who had helped her so much the past few days, saving her from enemies outside and within, including Blair herself. The Chuck she knew was the boy who had somewhere along the line grown into a man.

Thinking back to the night at the club, before things had gone so wrong, she remembered how closely they had been dancing. Although Chuck had thought she had been behaving that way because of seeing Nate and Serena together, he was very wrong. She admitted that seeing the two of them together had hurt her and that at first she had wanted to dance with Chuck to get back at Nate. But after the song had started and their bodies had drawn close to one another, Blair had felt something she had never before experienced. Their dance was sensual, seductive and sexual all at once. The way he had groaned in her ear when she had dragged her nails down his chest had sent a chill down her spine. Surprising herself entirely, Blair had realized that in that very moment, she had wanted him. Her body had craved to be held in his arms and her lips begged to be touched by his. But he had seen Nate and Serena in the background and had pulled away, calling her on her behavior. And that's how the moment had ended.

They had shared another few moments the following day: once in the limousine when he comforted her as he took her home and the next outside her home when they had almost kissed. She had seen the hunger in his eyes at that moment and it had mirrored her own. These were sensations that Blair had never felt before; feelings that she had never experienced with Nate. To Blair, Nate now seemed more like a crush she had kept for all those years. Chuck, on the other hand, held the promise of passion and excitement and more than anything else, mature love. The sudden thought made Blair gasp aloud. Did she honestly think of love and Chuck Bass in the same thought? Shaking her head, she didn't know what to think. All she knew was that Chuck had hurt her that morning by rejecting her claims. She was surer than ever that there was something between them, even if he refused to acknowledge it and decided that she would eventually get the truth out of him. Gazing at her elegant debutant gown, she smiled rather smugly to herself. As far as she was concerned, two could play the game of hard to get.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's a longer chapter, as requested :)**

Chapter IX

The ballroom was exquisitely decorated with large, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling above. The floor was made from marble as tables and chairs were situated around the stage and dance floor. With a broad smile on her face, Blair sauntered into the ballroom, her hair pinned back loosely with a few strands hanging over her shoulders. Her white gown shimmered under the light as everyone turned and watched her. Accompanying her was Andrew Lawrence, a young man whose family was friends with her mother. Quickly glancing around the ballroom, Blair was disappointed to see that Chuck had not yet arrived. Catching site of Serena, she motioned Andrew towards her best friend. Serena was dressed in a white gown herself with her blond, curly hair pulled back in a ponytail. Both girls embraced one another quickly and complimented the other on their gowns.

"Serena, I'd like you to meet Andrew Lawrence," Blair introduced as the young man extended his hand to her. "Andrew, this is my best friend Serena Van der Woodsen."

With short, wavy blond hair and a charming smile, Andrew turned towards Blair.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked.

When both girls declined the offer, he turned and walked off to obtain a drink for himself.

"Not bad, B," Serena said with a small laugh as Blair smiled back.

"That should get someone attention, don't you think?" Blair asked with one of her brows raised.

"You mean Chuck?" Serena asked in return as Blair's smile widened.

After her encounter with him that morning, Blair had spoken to Serena and had told her everything that had transpired. Together, they had decided on ways for Blair to get Chuck to admit the truth to her.

"So you never ended up telling me who your date for the evening was," Blair said as Serena smiled softly.

"His name is Dan Humphrey. His dad and my mom use to know each other back in the day," she began just as a young man walked up to them.

He was dressed in a casual black tuxedo and had short black hair with a boyish smile on his face.

"Hey," he said as Serena smiled at him.

"Dan, I'd like you to meet my best friend Blair Waldorf," she began as Blair gave him a once over. "Blair, this is Dan."

"Is this the same Dan Humphrey that you spent that entire summer with four years ago?" Blair asked as Serena blushed and Dan smiled in return. "That's interesting."

"Dan, why don't you go sit down. We'll be right there," Serena said and the young man nodded and walked off.

"Not bad, S," Blair began. "He's definitely blossomed from four years ago."

"I know," Serena agreed happily. "I don't know but it feels so weird being around him again. It's as if nothing has changed these past four years. We immediately clicked again."

"Well, I'm glad at least one of our love lives is going good," Blair said as they walked arm in arm towards their table.

"Is Chuck not here yet?" Serena asked.

Shaking her head, she let out a sigh. "I don't know if he'll even show up."

Looking past her friend's shoulder, Serena noticed Chuck entering the ballroom with someone other than Nicollet accompanying him.

"Never say never," she said as Blair turned and looked towards the direction she was pointing.

Looking rather debonair, Chuck stopped midway as the young girl he was with turned to him with a smile. She had long, black, wavy hair that hung over her shoulders and a slim body with a beautiful face. Leaning in towards his ear, she whispered something which he nodded to. Locking her hand through his arm, they began walking towards their table. The girl wore a long, elegant white gown and she had crystal blue eyes that shined under the lights of the chandeliers. Blair was unable to remove her eyes from the pair; Chuck looked incredibly handsome in his suit and the girl on his arm was gorgeous.

As soon as they had begun to walk towards their table, Chuck had noticed Blair right away. She looked beautiful to him and was the only person that he noticed in the entire room. When they neared the table, they kept eye contact until Blair finally looked away, a hurt and pained look in her eyes. He realized that she was hurting and wanted to reach out and comfort her, but Serena's voice brought him back to reality.

"That's not Nicollet," she began as he faced her.

"I'd like you guys to meet Celina Machado," he began. "She just arrived here from Brazil."

Turning her gaze back to him, Blair composed herself and plastered a fake smile on her lips.

"And of course you scooped her up in no time," she said as their eyes met again.

Sensing the tension between the two, Serena cut in before harsher words were exchanged.

"Why don't we all sit down," she declared as the group moved around their table.

Serena sat next to Dan and Blair sat on her other side. Celina sat next to Dan and Chuck beside her with three chairs empty in between Chuck and Blair. Removing his eyes from her, he began glancing around the ballroom and noticed Nate approaching them with Hazel on his arm. Chuck immediately sighed and looked away, a small move that no one but Serena noticed. She frowned slightly and watched as Nate glanced from Blair to Serena and ignored Chuck completely.

"Hey Nate," Serena began, breaking the silence as he smiled at her.

Gazing at the two beautiful girls who had been such big parts of his life, he smiled wryly at them both.

"Hey," he said and sat down in a seat away from Blair, sensing that her date hadn't arrived yet as Hazel took the seat between him and Chuck. "Hi Blair. You look amazing."

"Thank you," she said with an intended smile.

Looking down at the table as they shared a small moment, Chuck was unaware that Serena had noticed his behavior once again. Just then, Chuck noticed Andrew approaching them from the side. Following his gaze, Blair sprang to her feet and smiled broadly at him.

"Andrew, there you are," she said, taking his hand and seating him beside her. "I was wondering where you were."

Before he was able to respond, Chuck sat up straight in his chair and turned to Blair with a slight scoff.

"_Your_ date?" he asked as she shot back a grin at him.

"Did you think I was going to wait around for you?" she said with a slight laugh. "You blew your shot more than once so I decided to bring Andrew. He comes from such a well-known and wealthy family. There's no scandals attached to _his_ name."

Nate sat back and watched the exchange in silence. He was still angry at Chuck and wanted to have Blair back for himself, but even _he_ was unable to ignore the heated gaze the two people closest to him were shooting each other.

"Unlike mine?" Chuck asked in reply.

He didn't know why he was getting angry at her for he had been the one to push her away that morning. She had every right to be with whomever she wanted and do whatever she chose, but the thought of Blair with Nate, Andrew or anyone else made Chuck feel sick to his stomach. He was in a bad way about this girl and he hated every second of it.

"Well, at least his mother isn't attached to most of the gossip in our circle," Blair exclaimed.

The moment she had said the words, she wanted to take them back. She had loved Chuck's mother when she was alive for the woman was full of life and spirit and insulting her memory was a cheap shot that Blair wished she hadn't said. The hurt look in his eyes made Blair regret her words even more, but it was too late.

"Nice," he said bitterly, rising to his feet. "Sometimes I feel that you and Nate are perfect for each other."

With that, he turned and walked off angrily.

"I…," Blair began but her sentence quickly ended as she watched him go helplessly.

"Fun table," Celina expressed in her accent as Blair shot her a glare.

"I'll be right back," Serena exclaimed, rising to her feet and following Chuck out of the ballroom.

Once she was outside, she found him lighting a cigarette near the main entrance.

"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, coming up beside him.

"I don't," he said in frustration and tossed the cigarette to the side.

"What was that in there?" she asked, crossing her arms at her chest from the slight chill she felt when the wind breezed by her.

"Nothing," he replied quietly.

"Come on, I saw that look Nate gave you and how you looked away when he sat down," she began. "What's going on between you too?"

Turning to face her, he shrugged his shoulders.

"He found out about this thing between Blair and I the past couple weeks," he explained. "He told me to stay away from her."

"This coming from Nate who cheated on Blair and hurt her over and over again?" Serena asked with a frown. "So that's why you acted indifferent towards her this morning. Why did you listen to him?"

"Because he's my best friend," he replied simply. "Things between my dad and I are not so great. I mean, it was alright for a while, but then we went to Monaco and things got bad again. Nate's really the only family I have. I can't lose him."

"But what he's doing in unfair," Serena exclaimed.

"Serena, you told him no because of Blair…because she's your best friend," he stated sadly. "I'm doing the same."

Sighing softly, she understood what he meant.

"But even Nate doesn't know what he wants," she expressed. "I mean, last week he was telling me how much he loved me and this morning he told Blair how it was all a mistake and that he really loved her instead."

"Look, it doesn't matter. It's not like the two of us were in love or anything," he began. "And we only kissed once that Blair doesn't remember anyway."

"When was this?" she asked with a slight frown.

"The night she saw you and him at his place and they broke up," he explained. "Blair came to this burlesque club my dad bought and she got drunk. She started dancing on stage and afterwards, we went back to the office because I thought she needed to be alone for a bit. She kissed me, I kissed back and she tried to further things but I stopped her. She was hurting over Nate and I knew she'd regret anything we'd do the next day."

"Chuck, the way you talk about Blair and the way you took care of her that night…it's not a simple crush," Serena began. "What you guys have is real. Nate walked in a few minutes ago and Blair could care less. She had Nate and Andrew around her but she couldn't take her eyes off of you. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"Look, it doesn't matter how I feel or don't feel, alright?" he said firmly. "I'm not going to lose Nate over this. I can't."

Knowing that his mind was set, Serena finally sighed in acceptance.

"Come on," she said, leading him back inside the ballroom.

Once they had approached their table, the host for the evening arrived on stage and announced for the men and women to take their places backstage. Rising to their feet, the entire group began walking towards the back with the other debutants. Pulling Chuck to the side at the back of the group, Nate turned to him quietly.

"What did I tell you about staying away from her?" he began.

"Does it look like I'm here with _her_?" Chuck asked in return, easily getting agitated at his friend.

"She won't stop looking at you," Nate pointed out.

Pulling his arm away, Chuck sighed. "That's not my problem. Besides, you should be more worried about the guy she brought, not the guy who turned her away."

With that, he moved past him and took his place in the lineup with Celina, in front of Blair and Andrew. Gazing at the back of his head for a long moment, Blair leaned forward and touched his hand. Feeling the warmth of her touch, Chuck closed his eyes for a moment as Blair secretly slipped her hand into his and they intertwined their fingers.

"I didn't mean what I said about your mom," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Smiling softly at her apology with his back still to her, he finally released her hand and faced her.

"You're forgiven," he said absently before facing forward again as Blair's face fell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present Serena Van der Woodsen, daughter of Lilly Van der Woodsen," the host introduced as Serena walked onto the stage. "Accompanied by Daniel Humphrey."

Dan approached her, bowed slowly and took her hand in his as they smiled at one another giddily before he led her down the steps and to the side of the dance floor. As another two couples moved up, the announcer finally arrived at Chuck.

"Celina Machado, daughter of…," the host began.

Blair continued to gaze at the back of his head in silence as he moved away from her and through the side of the stage to wait for Celina.

"Accompanied by Charlie Bass," the host continued as Chuck walked up the stairs, bowed in front of the Brazilian girl and led her down towards Serena and Dan.

Once Blair's name was called, she snapped out of her daze and focused her attention on the Cotillion.

"Blair Waldorf daughter of Eleanor Waldorf," the host expressed.

Smiling softly, Blair walked onto the stage and her smile widened when she saw her mother applauding her happily from one of the tables up front, sitting next to Serena's mother. As she turned towards Andrew, who bowed before her, her eyes moved across the floor and caught hold of Chuck. Their gaze held firmly as she walked down the steps with Andrew and stopped near him and Celina. Once Nate and Hazel were called and two more couples walked up, the host raised his hand towards the young women.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the debutants of 2007," the host exclaimed.

All of the parents and guests rose to their feet to applaud the young women who smiled at their audience.

"And now for their dance," the host stated as the eight couples moved into a waltz position.

As they began moving around the floor to the classical music playing, Blair smiled at Serena and Dan who were laughing heartedly amongst themselves. Her eyes then moved towards Nate who was staring at her. Feeling uncomfortable, she looked away and noticed Chuck was also gazing at her. When their eyes locked, he immediately looked away, causing Blair to sigh quietly. Once the song was over, the couples changed partners and began dancing to another classical song. It was a tradition in the way they ran their version of the Cotillion that every girl and boy that year would dance with one another. Serena and Andrew began dancing, Chuck with Hazel, Nate with Blair and the others amongst themselves.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight," Nate began as Blair looked up at him.

"What are you doing, Nate?" she asked him softly.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a slight frown.

"You and I are over," she said, reminding him.

"I know, but I think that things could be really good between us again if you give us a chance," he exclaimed.

"Good again?" she asked with a soft smile. "When exactly were things good between us? When we were kids and first started dating? Or when you started having feelings for my best friend?"

"I made a mistake the other week," he stated. "I've made a lot of mistakes, I know."

"Nathan, you were unfaithful in more than one way," she began, using his full name in emphasis. "Things were never good between us. We were lying to ourselves."

"Blair, I love you," he expressed.

"And I love you too," she admitted, causing him to smile. "Even though you don't deserve it, I do love you because you were my first boyfriend…my childhood crush."

"It was more than that," he began, but she cut him off.

"You broke my heart so many times Nate," she continued. "Not only by sleeping with Serena, but by going behind my back all the time."

"I only cheated on you once," he defended.

"Like I said, you were unfaithful in more than one way," she stated. "All the times you would keep things about your family or your life away from me, you were hurting me. Every time you made me feel unwanted or neglected, you were hurting me. And last week was the last straw. I'm done with this, Nate. It was an unhealthy relationship for both of us and now it's over."

He stared at her in silence unsure of what to say when she spoke up again.

"Do I forgive you for everything you did? No," she stated, causing him to look away. "It will be a long time before I _ever_ forgive you. But I'm tired of being so sad and angry all the time."

With that, her eyes caught hold of Chuck who was laughing with Hazel as they danced.

"I like Chuck," she suddenly said, causing Nate to look at her with a shocked expression.

"What?" he asked.

"I like Chuck," she repeated and faced him bravely. "And I don't care what you say or how you feel about it. I like him."

"He's my best friend, Blair," Nate began.

"It's not like that ever stopped _you_," she said as he sighed. "Besides, I don't owe you anything. And I think he likes me too, but he's just acting like a jerk right now for a reason that I haven't yet figured out."

Nate remained quiet as she spoke.

"The past few days, especially that night when I was almost…," she began and momentarily looked away at the memory. "He was there for me and helped and comforted me in a way that you never did in all of the years that we were together. He held me close and promised that everything would be okay. Little things like that that you never did. When I think back on my life, Chuck's been the one who's always made me smile. He's the one who always made me feel good about myself. Then this morning he did a complete 360 on me and I don't know why."

Looking at her sadly, he remembered the conversation he and Chuck had, had a few days ago.

_"You're not good enough for her," Nate began with a disgusted look in his eyes. "She deserves someone better than you."_

_"You're one to talk," Chuck said with a scoff._

_"What she and I had was special. Do you really believe that she'll toss it all away for you?" Nate exclaimed. _

_"You cheated on her and broke her heart over and over again," Chuck replied. "How is it that you're forgetting all of this?"_

_"She'll forgive me and take me back," Nate stated. "She always does."_

_"Not this time, Nate," Chuck replied and sighed. "And God, it's not like I'm with the girl anyway."_

_"Good thing because she deserves someone who will love and respect her. She deserves someone who will take care of her and be there for her…not a womanizing, alcoholic lowlife like you," he snapped. "Stay the hell away from her."_

Casting his eyes down, Nate remained speechless just as the music ended.

"Goodbye Nate," Blair said and moved towards a lonely Chuck.

He watched her go, realizing that he had indeed lost her once and for all. As she moved into Chuck's arms, Nate understood that what they felt was more than he thought it was. When Celina moved to dance with Nate, he tore his eyes away from them. Chuck and Blair remained silent throughout their dance, both secretly enjoying the closeness they were sharing. Subconsciously, Chuck pulled Blair closer towards him and the move caused her to smile.

"Why did you push me away today?" she asked him as their eyes met.

"I…," he began and took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter. It's not like you and I had anything real between us."

"Stop lying," she said firmly. "The way you've been looking at me doesn't show a man who feels indifferent towards me. I've felt the heat of your gaze all night."

Sighing, he looked away from her and remained silent.

"What happened?" she pushed him on.

He turned back towards her and his gaze landed on her mouth. As a small smile formed on his face, he began inching forward towards her, unable to stop himself. Blair was nervous by his move, but closed her eyes and waited for his lips to touch hers. Staring at them from the side, Nate immediately looked back to Celina.

"I'm sorry, but there's something I have to do," he said and quickly came to walk off, but he and everyone else were interrupted by a ruckus in the crowd.

Before Chuck and Blair were able to kiss, a disruption caused them to pull away and stare into the audience. Henry Pryce, the wealthy man who sponsored the Cotillion every year and who was the Dean of their posh school, had approached Bart Bass in the audience and had pushed him violently, sending him into a table a few feet away. Breaking away from Blair, Chuck moved towards the scene as everyone gathered around them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bart asked angrily, getting to his feet.

"You son of a bitch, you slept with my wife!" Henry exclaimed.

His wife was Katherine Lawrence and she was his second bride. He had remarried three years after his first wife had passed away. His new wife of two years was twenty-eight years old and nothing more than a gold digger, even though Henry would never acknowledge it.

"You slept with her two days ago in Monaco! Admit it!" Henry snapped, pushing Bart back once more.

Chuck stared at his father sadly who turned to him with a desperate look in his eyes. Before Henry was able to push Bart once more, Chuck moved forward and stepped in-between them.

"My father didn't sleep with your wife," Chuck suddenly exclaimed as all eyes landed on him.

Gazing desolately at Blair who was standing to his right with a confused expression on her face, he sighed and faced Mr. Pryce.

"I did," he finally stated, which caused an uproar amongst the crowd.

Blair gasped aloud and stared at him in disbelief as everyone spoke mildly in the background.

"It was me," he repeated quietly.

Walking towards him with seething rage, Henry punched him once in his face, sending Chuck back a few feet as Bart came to move forward, but was unable to find his footing.

"You're going to pay for this, do you hear me you piece of trash?" he snapped at him before storming out of the ballroom.

Serena and Nate both stared at him in silence as the crowd began slowly dispersing, everyone still shocked at the revelation. Walking to him with an icy demeanor, Blair stood silently in front of him before slapping him hard on his cheek. He closed his eyes in pain, having known moments ago that it was coming.

"You lying, sleazy bastard," she snapped before turning and rushing out of the ballroom towards the exit.

He miserably watched her go with tearful eyes and a broken heart but said nothing as Serena approached him.

"I guess I was wrong about you," she said, loathing laced in her voice before following her best friend out.

Standing alone in the same spot he was glued to, Chuck ran his hand through his hair and exhaled heavily as his father approached him.

"Son…," he began, unsure of what to say.

"Don't," Chuck warned him. "Just don't."

And with that, he slowly turned and walked off as Nate sadly watched him go. Feeling the breeze against his skin outside, Chuck closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Staring at his awaiting car parked at the side of the road, he angrily removed his tie from around his neck, tossed it aside and began walking down the sidewalk, his figure soon disappearing within the crowd.

Inside the backseat of her own car, Blair stared outside her window as tears streamed down her face. 'How could she have been so stupid to think he had actually cared?' she thought to herself. Crossing her arms at her chest, she wiped a single tear away but more formed in place of it. Closing her eyes and leaning her head forward, she buried her face in her hands as the driver listened to the young girl's silent tears.

_Don't believe everything you see or hear, B. All is not how it seems. XOXO Gossip Girl_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter X

Why did things always go wrong for him? Sitting at the empty bar at Victrola, Chuck stared down at the half-empty glass in front of him and sighed inwardly. Having Blair in his arms at the ball had opened up a set of emotions in Chuck that he had never experienced. Gazing into her eyes as they had danced, he had wanted nothing else but to kiss her. But then everything had come crashing down…all because of his father. The look of disgust and hate in her eyes when she had slapped him had broken his heart. He had always put on a mask to the rest of the world, showcasing himself as an arrogant asshole, but with her he was always different. He was kind and gentle and she saw him for who he really was…not what the rest of the world believed him to be. But the look in her eyes when she had walked away from him had taken that all away: a look that said she couldn't believe how naïve she had been to have thought he was any different from what others had always seen. And the thought of her believing that completely destroyed him. She was the one person he was always himself with, and now he had lost that.

Sighing heavily, he slowly ran his hand through his hair and finished the rest of his drink, ignoring the looks the bartender gave him when he asked for another refill. Sitting up in his seat, he rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't even bothered changing clothes last night after leaving the ball. Instead, he had driven straight towards Victrola and had spent the past six hours drowning himself in his own misery. All of a sudden, a thought appeared in his mind. Blair was probably back together with Nate by now. Whenever things got a little rocky in another area of her world, Blair would always ignore all of Nate's betrayals and immediately run to him to take her troubles away. The thought of the two of them together again made him feel sick to his stomach and he closed his eyes to take the image away. Releasing a low groan, he was surprised when he found Serena sitting next to him after reopening his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, avoiding her gaze and staring down at the now-empty glass.

"I spent the better part of the night consoling Blair while she cried. She kept saying how stupid she was for believing you weren't a lying piece of trash," she continued, her voice angry and hard. "When she finally fell asleep, I had half a mind to find you and kill you myself, but then I remembered how you were that night after the club…when you sat by her bed all night and watched her sleep. So I thought I'd give you a chance to explain what really happened."

"What's the point?" he asked, motioning the bartender to fill his glass once more. "I'm a lying, cheating, sleazy bastard, remember? How is anything I'm going to say going to change that?"

Before he was able to take another sip, Serena turned his face towards her. Staring deep into his eyes for a long moment, she sighed and sat back.

"Because of how broken you look right now," she finally said. "What's going on, Chuck?"

"Since when are you and I best friends, anyway?" he demanded, pulling away from her slightly.

"We're not, but I started seeing another side to you about the same time Blair started smiling again…because of you," she expressed, her words causing him to look away. "When she and Nate were together, her smiles were almost always covering up her hurt and pain. But the past couple weeks, she's been genuinely happy…even glowing. I know that's because of you so help me out here. What's going on?"

When he didn't respond, Serena cleared her throat and sat up.

"Last night, when she was dancing with Nate, she told him that it was over between them for _good_ and that she liked _you_," she continued, causing Chuck to close his eyes and groan out loud. "Her feelings for you are real."

"But now no more than a distant memory," he replied.

"As if you don't deserve it," she began, her words snapping him out of his sorrowful daze. "You're the one who slept with an older woman."

"Don't judge me," he snapped back at her. "You of all people should be the last one to judge someone else looking at your track record."

"Then tell me what's going on," she pressed him.

Turning to face her in his stool, he sighed heavily.

"My father loved my mother so much," he began, his words taking Serena by surprise.

She hadn't expected him to discuss his family with her, especially not his mother. He never spoke of her to anyone other than Blair and Nate.

"When she died, it ripped a hole in him," he continued. "At first, he couldn't sleep or eat or drink. He'd just go through the motions every day. "

Taking a sip of his drink, he rubbed his tired eyes and continued.

"After her funeral, he couldn't even look at me for a long time. Looking at me reminded him of her and it was too hard for him," he stated. "Never mind that I was an eight year old boy who had just lost my mother. It was always about him…how he felt or what he needed at the time. So I turned to Nate and he helped me deal with some of the stuff I was going through. He, in turn, started bringing these random women home with him almost every night and I'd see them all the next morning: scantily dressed gold diggers. At first the women kept him from thinking about my mom, and then he needed another escape. That's when he turned to gambling."

Serena watched the boy in front of her try and explain his troubles, allowing him to speak at his own pace.

"At first it was a couple poker games and then little by little, he became addicted," he continued, taking another sip from his drink. "Soon enough, he had destroyed most of the Bass Empire he had built. He gambled away our entire fortune and was up to his neck in debts. That's when he made his biggest mistake."

"What happened?" Serena asked with a slight frown, learning new things about the boy in front of her for the first time.

"He started secretly taking money from all of his business partners to pay off his debts and one day, one of them caught onto everything and informed the authorities," he explained with a slight scoff. "The FBI came knocking down our door and arrested him."

"When was all of this?" she asked in confusion.

"Three years ago," he replied.

"Chuck, I never heard about any of this," she began.

"That's because we paid the right people to keep it out of the news and our little social circle…what little money we had, anyway," he stated. "They first gave him four years in prison for embezzlement, but my father still had a few connections in the right places and he managed to knock the sentence down to ten years probation with monthly payments to the government. In other words, he would never see the inside of a jail cell as long as he never left the state or the country within these ten years and made his payments on time."

"That doesn't sound too bad," she exclaimed as he smiled softly at her.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't exactly end there," he stated. "All of his previous business partners pulled out of their deals, understandably, and he was left with no way to make the payments. The hotels and all of his businesses were seized by the government when a man in Monaco, a wealthy man named Richard Grant, finally agreed to do dealings with my father. It was pretty much a life saver and after a few days, the government gave everything back to us."

"Chuck, I understand everything that you're saying," she began. "But what does this have to do with the Dean's wife?"

Staring at her for a long moment, he finally spoke up.

"Grant started having doubts about their business venture a few weeks ago and eventually wanted to pull out of everything. My father tried convincing him over the phone, but it was useless…so he decided to pay him a visit," he explained and sighed heavily. "I tried convincing him not to do it, but he's a stubborn son of a bitch. He asked me to go with him at the last minute and with a little help from another friend in a high place, he was able to slip out of the country unnoticed. We went to Monaco and persuaded Grant to continue the business dealings. Actually, I persuaded him while my father spent most of the time in his suite drinking. I found him in the Monte Carlo and told him the good news. No thank you or gratitude. He just patted my back and went back to gambling. I found him the next morning in bed with the Dean's wife. He was too drunk the night before to realize who it was he was sleeping with."

"Then it _was_ your father who slept with her," Serena said and sighed in relief. "What the hell made you take the heat for him then? After everything he's put you through, why would you do that?"

"Don't you get it?" Chuck asked, quickly getting agitated. "He slept with her in Monaco!"

Still not understanding his point, she shrugged her shoulders as he let out a small laugh.

"In Monaco, as in outside of New York and the United States," he snapped at her as realization suddenly dawned upon Serena's face. "If the Dean thought that my father had slept with his wife in Monaco, then everyone would know that my father had _been_ to Monaco, including the authorities and who would jet him towards the nearest prison at the first chance they had. He'd serve the original four years for the embezzlement and then three years on top of that for skipping the state and the country during his probation."

"Oh my God," she said quietly, running a hand through his head.

"I acted on impulse," he began, his voice sounding more broken than ever before. "I lost Blair because of it and that kills me inside in a way you can't even begin to imagine, but he's my father. Just what the hell was I supposed to do? Sit back and let them take him away? I can't do that. He's my _father_, for God's sake."

"Chuck…," Serena began, but he cut her off abruptly.

"I may hate the man for how he's treated me all my life and for never being there all these years but he's still my father. Now that Nate's out of my life after finding out about this thing between me and Blair, he's the only family I have left," he expressed, his voice sounding less angry and more desolate.

"Chuck, I'm so sorry," she stated, placing her hand on his shoulder in comfort. "I really don't know what to say."

"I know I have a reputation as a womanizer and that I haven't exactly lived my rep down, as evidence to everything I've down in my life, but she was different," he said quietly. "After Nate broke her heart over and over again…I'd never hurt her like that…_ever_."

"You care about her a lot, don't you?" she asked as he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm in love with her," he suddenly said.

Serena was taken aback by his words and it took her a moment to get over the initial shock of his statement.

"You what?" she asked quietly as he stared back at his empty glass.

"You heard me," he stated, unwilling to repeat his last statement.

"Chuck, I always thought you guys had something between you but I never…," she began, her sentence drifting away. "Does she know?"

"No, and now she never will," he replied.

"What are you talking about? Go to her and explain everything," she stated firmly.

"She passed her judgment on me last night without even waiting for me to explain," he stated, his voice sounding hurt.

"She was upset and devastated by what you said," Serena defended her friend. "And can you blame her? The moment she said she likes someone else, after finally letting go of Nate and their relationship, you say the one thing she's most insecure about. You were with another girl, hell a _woman_, behind her back. And it doesn't matter if you guys were even together or not or if it was all a lie because right now to Blair, you betrayed her…just like Nate did."

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead gently.

"Yes it does," Serena expressed, not giving up on her argument. "Go to her and tell her everything you told me."

"I can't risk it," he suddenly said, his voice sounding alert and angry like before as he turned to face her. "The only reason I told you was to get you off of my back because with everything on my plate right now, I couldn't deal with you giving me the third degree. But I can't risk anyone else finding out because in case you haven't noticed, gossip travels in our elite social group quicker than the wind. If _anyone_ else finds out about this, he'll go to jail."

"But…," she began, yet Chuck rose to his feet and quickly silenced her.

"No," he stated firmly. "Give me your word right now that a single word of this will never leave this room."

"Chuck…," she tried again, but he wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise.

"Promise," he snapped at her.

Sighing in defeat, she slowly nodded at him. "I promise."

As he came to leave, she stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"But you're going to lose Blair," she said sadly.

Smiling at her wryly, he shrugged his shoulders.

"How can you lose something that was never yours to begin with," he replied.

With that, he walked away from her and quickly disappeared through the front door. Sighing softly, Serena turned back to the empty glass in front of her.

"You have no idea how much you _did_ have her," she whispered before getting to her feet and following him out.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter XI

Blair had been mortified the other night after hearing the most devastating words out of Chuck's mouth. He had admitted to sleeping with the Dean's wife in Monaco, much to everyone's surprise and dismay. How could she have been so blind to think she was special to him? That he actually cared about her rather than seeing her as another of his conquests? She had slapped him hard on his cheek in front of everyone before calling him a few names and storming out. While crying in the backseat of a cab, she had received a message from gossip girl which read: 'Queen B shattered at finding out her new beau is just as unfaithful as the last.' The words had made her cry even harder.

She had spent the rest of the night receiving comfort from Serena who tried her best to calm her down. But the tears wouldn't stop falling and once they finally ended, Blair discovered a new emotion: fury. She was beyond angry for letting Chuck Bass use her and treat her with such disrespect. Serena had tried to calm her down by mentioning that maybe she should hear him out. She tried reminding her of the Chuck who had rescued her that night at the club; the same boy who had been incredibly kind to her the past couple weeks. But Blair shook the memories away and was hell-bent on exacting her revenge. She would destroy Chuck Bass if it were the last thing she did.

Why did she feel this way when all she did after Nate betrayed her was give up and move on? Why did what Chuck did hurt her more than Nate's indiscretion? Pushing such thoughts out of her mind, Blair stepped out of her car and stared at the steps leading up to their school's main doors. She would have to face the world at some point but God, did she hate Monday mornings. With a deep breath, she walked up the stairs and came face to face with Serena. Although all eyes were on her, she held her head up high and smiled at her best friend.

"Hey Blair," Serena greeted her, looking somewhat somber.

"Hi," she replied. "Have I mentioned how much I hate gossip girl?"

"Quite a few times," Serena said with a small laugh.

"Is he here?" she asked quietly.

"No," Serena replied after a moment. "I haven't seen him yet."

Laughing quietly to herself, Blair crossed her arms at her chest.

"He's going down, S," she expressed with a fixed gaze.

"Blair…," Serena began to protest. "Maybe you should just let it go."

"Let it go?" Blair asked incredulously. "He cheated on me and embarrassed me in front of everyone. Or did you forget?"

"I was there, Blair," Serena stated with a sigh. "I didn't forget."

"Then why are you defending him?" she exclaimed, her voice sounding sharper than she had intended.

"I'm not Blair, honest," Serena replied. "It's just that…maybe you should just hear him out."

"Hear him out about what? Why he's such a cheating jerk?" Blair snapped at her friend.

"But were you guys even together?" Serena began. "I mean, you said you guys flirted a bit and he took care of you and was incredible these past couple weeks. But did you even kiss? I mean, if you weren't even together, then what right do you have to claim he cheated on you?"

Blair couldn't believe she was hearing this and was confused more than anything else. She and Serena had spent the other night swearing Chuck off for the jerk that he was and coming up with ways to destroy him. What had changed? Why was Serena on his side all of a sudden?

"Whose side are you on, S?" Blair demanded, frowning slightly. "Tell me now so I know who my friends are."

"Yours, B," Serena said, touching her friend's arm in assurance. "I'm on _your_ side. I just think that maybe you should hear his side of the story."

Taking her words to heart, Blair sighed and looked around just as Dan walked up to them, causing Serena to smile happily.

"Hi Blair," he said tentatively.

She wanted to give him a snarky reply, but knowing how her friend felt for him, she managed to smile back.

"Hey Humphrey," she stated. "What brings you to our school?"

"He just transferred in," Serena answered for him, her happiness showing on her face as Dan turned to her with a genuine smile.

Watching the two of them banter playfully made Blair feel sick to her stomach. Switching her gaze away from them, she turned just in time to see a car pull to the side of the street. Stepping out of the car, Chuck sighed and glanced around himself. Blair stood frozen in her spot, unable to move, and the sudden change caught Serena's attention. Following her gaze, the others all noticed Chuck close his car door and begin climbing the stairs towards the main doors. Midway up the stairs, his eyes caught hold of Blair and he stopped cold. While the rest of the students around them whispered in each other's ears and watched them, their gaze was steady as both were unable to look away. Before he was able to approach her, though, three male students walked towards him, whistling and patting his back.

"The Dean's wife? Score!" one of the guys exclaimed.

"She's so hot!" another expressed as they laughed and walked off.

Chuck watched them leave for a moment before turning his gaze back to Blair. He saw her eyes darken and her body stiffen as her gaze turned into a glare. Removing her eyes from him, she pushed past Serena and walked inside the school as his eyes followed her.

"Why don't you go inside," Serena stated, facing Dan with a smile. "I'll be right behind you."

Nodding, he turned and followed Blair as Chuck approached her at the top of the stairs.

"Still pissed, huh?" he asked with a small laugh.

"Like I've never seen her before," Serena replied. "So how've you been?"

"Alive," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Look, she'll be looking at you to be there for her. Just do whatever she wants, okay? If she wants you to hate me, then hate me."

"Even though I know that all of this is a lie to protect your father?" she asked and he nodded.

"Not a word, Serena," he said firmly. "Don't forget."

"But you have to know that Blair will keep it a secret if you tell her," Serena exclaimed. "She'd never say anything…not even to hurt you."

"Let it go," he said.

"Yesterday you said that you loved her," Serena stated. "Just talk to her. She might surprise you."

Staring at her in silence for a moment, he finally walked past her towards the main doors. She watched him leave for a moment before following him inside. He made a stop at the bathroom while Serena walked into their first period English class. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Chuck dabbed some water on his face and dried it off. Inhaling deeply, he opened the door and walked into the same room as Serena. The students inside the room all silenced when they saw him enter. Scanning the classroom, his eyes landed on his seat at the end of the class: directly behind Blair and next to Nate while Serena sat in front of Nate. Cursing his seating arrangement for the first time that year, he lowered his face and quietly sat down as Blair avoided his eyes.

"Well, now that our resident Casanova has finally decided to join us, please put your books away for the quiz after the announcements," Mr. Locke, their thirty-eight year old teacher, exclaimed.

Half of the class laughed at the remark while their corner of the room remained quiet. Nate's eyes secretly moved onto his best friend, glancing over his worn-out features silently. Glimpsing at Serena for a quick moment, Chuck sighed and cleared his throat. Gazing at the back of Blair's head and oblivious to Nate's eyes, Chuck slightly leaned forward towards her.

"Blair," he called her name.

She didn't respond but he noticed her body flinch at the sound of her name.

"Please," he began in a whisper. "Can we please just talk?"

His words surprised everyone around him. Chuck Bass had never begged for anything, but here he was asking a _girl_ no less to spare him a moment of her time.

"Blair…," he tried again, not caring that the students around them were watching him closely.

Tired of hearing her name, Blair finally spun around so she was facing him.

"Explain what? Why you're such a pig? Or a man-whore?" she snapped at him, getting the attention of the students around her. "Explain why you're a compulsive liar? Or maybe about how you don't care for anything or anyone but yourself?"

Watching the exchange closely, everyone noticed Chuck's defeated attitude which was different from the smug Chuck Bass they all knew.

"And I actually defended you," Blair exclaimed and laughed to herself, rising the pitch of her in a way that got even the teacher's attention. "When people told me that you weren't good enough or how you were a heartless jerk who would break my heart, I _defended_ you. My grave mistake."

"Ms. Waldorf," the teacher called out, getting to his feet but they both ignored him.

Sitting back in his seat, Chuck sighed softly.

"So you don't want to hear my side of the story?" he asked her.

"Do I want to hear the gory facts of your illicit affair with an older woman?" Blair shot back at him bitterly. "You can keep the perverted details to yourself."

"So that's it? You've already passed your judgment?" he asked, his own voice sounding angry.

"You disgust me," Blair exclaimed firmly. "That's _all_ I need to know."

Everyone immediately looked at Chuck's reaction to her words and the expression on his face surprised them all. Her words had stung him deep down and the hurt he felt easily showed in his eyes. Nate quickly looked away, his own expression seeming pained.

"Then I guess that's, that," he said with a sad smile before rising to his feet.

"Mr. Bass, where do you think you're going?" Mr. Locke asked as Chuck moved towards the classroom door.

"Suddenly, I don't feel like being here anymore," he replied.

"If you walk out of that door, you will find yourself in detention young man," Mr. Locke expressed, forcing him face the classroom.

"What's the point?" he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "He's going to expel me anyway."

His words silenced everyone. Blair's eyes immediately shot up to meet his, but she quickly looked away. Before the teacher could comment, the P.A switched on.

"Charlie Bass, please report to the Dean's office," the secretary announced.

Smiling wryly, Chuck looked up at his teacher. "Speak of the devil."

With a final sigh, his hand gripped the doorknob and he swung the door open as everyone watched him go. Nate sank down in his seat and stared at the ground while Serena turned to Blair. She was about to say something, but noticed Blair wiping a tear from her eye and thought better of it. Walking down the empty hallway, Chuck ran his fingers along the cold steel of the lockers before finding his way to the secretary's desk. She offered him a consoling smile as he walked past her and knocked on the large oak door.

Stepping out of the school doors with a fazed expression on his face, Chuck slowly made his way down the steps towards the street where his father was waiting for him.

"What happened?" Bart asked as Chuck slowly glanced up at him.

"What?" he asked, still fazed out.

"Damn it, Charlie, what happened with the Dean?" Bart snapped, his voice sounding harsher than he had wanted.

But his rough tone pulled Chuck out of his daze and his eyes shot up to meet his father's gaze.

"What the hell do you think happened?" he snapped back. "The son of a bitch expelled me."

"I cannot believe this," Bart said, not sure who he was angry at.

"Yeah, well, neither can I," Chuck stated. "I can't believe any of this."

"Listen kid, I never asked you to do what you did," Bart began, defending himself. "I'm sure everything would have cleared up sooner or later. You didn't have to trash your entire future over it."

"No, if I hadn't said what I did, you'd be in prison right now," Chuck snapped angrily. "God, I just got kicked out of school for you…_because_ of you and you can't even thank me? You can't even realize that I did this for you? So you'd be okay?"

Their small group had a spare during their second period and wanting to get away from the knowing glances off all the other students Blair, Serna, Nate and Dan walked outside the main doors. It was then that they saw the exchange between Chuck and his father at the bottom of the stairs.

"Everything I do is because of you and you can't even say thank you?" Chuck shouted, not caring if anyone was watching them but oblivious to the fact that his own group were amongst the crowd.

"You see, Chuck, that's where you and I are different," Bart stated firmly. "You act first before thinking and you go and do something so crass that gets you into even more trouble."

"Do you honestly hear yourself?" Chuck said with a bitter laugh. "_I'm_ crass? Who are you to say anything to me? If it weren't for _you_, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"Watch your mouth," Bart began, but Chuck was on a roll and wasn't about to let his father stop him.

"You're an ungrateful son of a bitch, do you know that?" he spat out, his words causing Bart to push Chuck hard into the car behind him.

Both father and son were shocked by the sudden act, as was everyone else who saw the scene.

"I…," Bart began and tried to approach his son, but Chuck pulled away from him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't touch me," he said angrily. "Did you know that I wake up every day and pray to God it was you who had died instead of mom?"

Bart stared at his son for a long moment, taking his words into consideration.

"Then why did you do what you did?" he finally asked, his voice sounding sad and quiet.

Chuck stared at his father for a long moment, trying to figure out the real reason as to why he had taken the blame for him. Finally, after a few torturously silent minutes, he spoke up.

"Because you're all I have left of her," he said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

The words made Bart freeze in his spot and stare at his son speechlessly. With that, he pulled his sad eyes away from his father and began walking down the sidewalk as everyone watched him go. Nate ran a hand through his hair and walked back into the school while Blair immediately turned to Serena with a confused expression on her face. Wanting to tell her best friend everything, but also not wanting to betray Chuck trust, Serena simply shrugged her shoulders. When Blair faced the sidewalk again, though, he had disappeared down the street. Although she wanted to let what she had just witnessed roll off her back and forget that Chuck Bass had ever existed, Blair knew that she couldn't just let it go. As much as she wanted to write him out of her life for eternity, her heart spoke louder than her mind. Giving Serena a knowing glance, she jogged down the stairs and walked off in the same direction that he had moments ago disappeared in.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter XII

Chuck had spent the better part of the rest of his day wandering around the streets of Manhattan. His mind plagued with thoughts, it wasn't until he had reached the Brooklyn Bridge that he realized how far he had ventured. Hailing a cab, he sat in silence as the driver led him back to his home. Once he arrived outside of his hotel, he stared up at the luxurious building. His home was nothing more than a suite in one of his father's hotels. A few minutes passed before he finally found his footing and walked into the extravagant lobby. Before he went upstairs, he stopped at the check-in where the Hotel Manager was waiting.

"Good evening Mr. Bass," the man exclaimed, smiling brightly at him.

"Hey Matthew," he replied quietly. "Do me a favor."

"Anything Sir," the man stated.

"Call some movers for me in the morning," Chuck expressed, his words taking the Manager by surprise.

"Are you moving away Sir?" he asked.

"I think it's time," Chuck replied, glancing around himself. "As much as it's been fun, I think it's time for me to get my own place…somewhere that has no connection with my father."

Realizing what he meant, Matthew nodded. "Of course, Sir, I understand."

"Thanks," Chuck said and walked towards the elevator.

The corner of his eyes caught site of the hotel bar to his left and instead of going upstairs, he detoured his way towards one of the stools. Sitting down at the empty bar with a tired sigh, he looked up just as the bartender approached him.

"Give me a gin and tonic," he said as the man nodded and placed a glass in front of him.

Staring down at the alcohol for a long moment, he finally grabbed the glass and downed the drink in a single gulp. He then closed his eyes and rubbed his temple.

"Hi there," a woman's voice suddenly came.

Opening his eyes, he noticed a young woman in her mid-twenties sitting next to him. Dressed in a red dress with her black hair flung behind her shoulders, she turned to face him with a certain gleam in her eyes that Chuck was able to read easily. He simply stared at her as she took a sip of her drink.

"What do you want?" he finally asked, turning his attention back to the empty glass in his hands.

"I think you know," the woman stated quietly before placing her hand on his leg. "Looks like you need an escape."

"And I assume that's what you need?" he asked, turning to face her but making no effort to remove her hand.

Moving her body so she was fully facing him, she placed her hand on his chest and ran her fingers down to his waist before leaning forward towards his ear.

"Meet me in my hotel suite," she whispered before handing him a folded napkin and getting to her feet.

Grabbing her leather purse, she turned and walked away as he watched her leave. Turning back to the napkin, he unfolded it and read the suite number: 1410.

"Can I get a refill?" he asked, glancing up at the bartender.

"You've got it good," the man said with a smirk before handing him another glass.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chuck asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"A beautiful woman just offered to sleep with you," he stated. "What's stopping you?"

With that, he walked off to attend another customer as Chuck sat in silence, contemplating his words. Finally finishing his drink, he got to his feet and placed a few bills on the counter. Waiting patiently, he finally entered the empty elevator and stared at the napkin in his hands. Pondering his options for a brief moment, he scrunched the napkin and stuffed it in his pocket before pressing a button. As the elevator slowly began to rise, Chuck leaned his back to the wall and rubbed his tired eyes as a memory washed over him.

_It was the first of many social gatherings for the month. Held on the first day of each month, the breakfast had become a sort of tradition, bringing together all members of high society. The venue this time around was in the ridiculously large backyard of one of the guests. _

_Glancing up from his empty plate, a five year old Chuck Bass stared at both of his parents through his soulful, brown eyes. They were busy chattering away with Mr. and Mrs. Van der Woodsen, oblivious to their restless son. Finally having had enough of the boredom, Chuck slid out of his seat and came to walk away when his mother stopped him._

_"Don't go far," she said with a smile._

_"I won't," he replied, appearing annoyed on the outside when deep down he was happy that she had noticed him._

_Dressed in a black suit, Chuck walked through the crowd of people oblivious to the little boy. Glancing around himself, he looked for something fun to do and his eyes eventually landed on a little girl his age. She had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and was wearing a yellow dress. He watched from afar as another boy their age with wavy brown hair walked towards her. The girl extended her hand to him in a proper manner and the boy had kissed it in return. Chuck watched the ridiculous scene before him with a laugh before approaching them._

_"Hi," he greeted them as they both turned to face him. "My name's Chuck Bass."_

_"Nice to meet you, Chuck. This is Nathanial Archibald," the girl said with a polite smile, motioning the other boy. "And my name is Blair Waldorf."_

_She extended her hand to him with a wider smile, expecting it to be kissed. Tossing her a grin, Chuck grabbed her hand and shook it forcefully, causing Nate to laugh. Blair scowled at both boys and hastily pulled her hand away._

_"Do you want to play on the swings?" Chuck asked, pointing to a swing set to his left._

_"Yeah," Nate replied excitedly with a smile._

_Before Blair could protest, the boys were already halfway towards the swings. Not wanting to be left by herself, she quickly turned and followed them. Just as she was about to sit on one of the swings, an older boy of eight years old pushed her off._

_"Hey!" Chuck immediately exclaimed, rushing to her side._

_Holding his hand out to her, Blair smiled up at him and accepted his help, getting to her feet and brushing the dust off of her dress before giving the older boy a scowl._

_"Don't touch her," Chuck stated firmly, facing the older boy._

_"Oh yeah? And just what are you going to do about it?" the boy asked in his bullying tone, pushing Chuck a few feet back._

_"You're supposed to be nice to girls, not push them," Chuck exclaimed._

_Blair smiled at him from the side while Nate stood in the background with a clueless look on his face._

_"You're something else, do you know that kid?" the boy said with a laugh before grabbing Blair's hair tie and yanking it off of her head._

_She yelped in pain and her cry forced Chuck to charge at the older boy in a fit of rage, pinning him to the ground. Although he was surprised by Chuck's strength at first, the older boy eventually got the upper hand and pushed him into the dirt. He managed to kick him a couple times as a horrified Blair watched from the side when two adults suddenly broke them apart._

_"Lucas, what is the matter with you?" a young woman exclaimed, pulling her son away as Chuck turned to face his father who had also approached them._

_He expected to see a proud expression on his father's face, but what he got was the exact opposite._

_"I should have known that you would cause a scene," he scolded his son._

_"But dad…," Chuck began, still sitting on the ground._

_"No 'buts', Charlie. Now get up. You've embarrassed me enough for one day," Bart said and walked off without even helping his son to his feet._

_Turning away dejectedly, he was surprised to see Blair's hand extended to him. Taking her hand in his, he rose to his feet and dusted himself off._

_"That was so sweet of you," she began, smiling sweetly at him. "Thank you, Chuck."_

_Leaning forward, she placed her hands on his chest to help balance her body and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Before he was able to respond, she had turned and walked away from him towards a little girl with flowing blond hair. Watching her leave for a moment, he finally turned towards his mother who had leaned down in front of him._

_"Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked worriedly, touching his face and inspecting him for any cuts or bruises he may have had._

_"I'm fine, mom," he said in annoyance, trying to wriggle free from her._

_Smiling at her son, she shook her head and laughed lightly. "Oh honey, as much as I don't condone fighting of any kind, what you did for that girl was very sweet."_

_"Why does everyone keep telling me I'm sweet?" he asked in frustration before his eyes grew sad. "Everyone except dad."_

_"Because as much as you try and hide it, you are such an amazing little boy with a great big heart," she said, kissing his forehead. "As for your father, you know he doesn't express his feelings that well. But he loves you very much, Chuck."_

_As they smiled at one another, she rose to her feet, took his hand in hers and led him away._

_"So what was her name anyway?" she asked him as they walked._

_"Blair," he replied, tossing a glance over her shoulder._

_He was surprised when he saw the girl was staring back at him and they shared a small smile._

Without realizing what he was doing, Chuck's hand slowly moved to his cheek where she had kissed him all those years ago; the kiss she never should have given him. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the elevator stopped and the door slid open. Rubbing his eyes, he stepped into the hall and walked towards his intended suite. Pausing for a moment outside the door, he finally grabbed the handle and walked inside. It wasn't until the door was closed that he noticed her sitting on the leather sofa, waiting for him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

Chuck stood in front of the door and stared ahead of him in silence.

"I was wondering if you were going to show," the woman from the bar exclaimed with a small smile.

After realizing that Chuck wasn't making a move towards her, she rose from her seat and closed the distance between them.

"I don't bite," she whispered before lowering her face to his neck.

Before her lips touched his skin, he gently grabbed her arms and pushed her back.

"What's wrong?" she asked, slightly confused as he stared at her in silence.

Upstairs on the thirtieth floor of the hotel, Blair rose to her feet inside Chuck's suite. Sighing impatiently, she glanced at her watch which read six-thirty in the evening. She had followed him down the street but when she was unable to find him, she had returned to school to finish the rest of her classes. After school was over, she had hailed a cab, gone to his hotel and had sweet-talked the bellboy to allow her into Chuck's suite. It had been an hour since she had first begun waiting for him, but there was still no sign of Chuck.

Needing something to help pass the time, she began walking around his place when her eyes landed on a framed photo of his mother on top of his fireplace. In the photo, Chuck's mother was smiling as she held a young baby Chuck in her arms. Smiling sadly at mother and son, Blair averted her eyes and suddenly came across another photo which made her stop cold.

Back in the woman's hotel suite, Chuck ran a hand through his hair and laughed nervously.

"Is this your first time?" she asked and he tossed her a look which made her laugh. "Then what is it?"

"You're a very beautiful woman," he began, causing her smile to widen.

"Thank you," she accepted his compliment. "Have you only ever been with ugly women?"

He gave her another glare and she chuckled again.

"What I meant to say is that you're very beautiful," he repeated. "But that's not why I came up here."

"If not for that, then why?" she asked, slightly intrigued by the young man standing in front of her.

"I thought maybe we could just…talk," he suggested, causing her smile to grow.

In Chuck's suite upstairs, Blair's hand grabbed hold of the second picture that had captured her attention. It was a photo of Blair from two summers ago. Nate had gone on vacation with his parents and Serena had done the same with her mother and younger brother. She and Chuck had remained behind and one day, he had suggested that they fly to Rome for the weekend. She had thought that he was merely kidding around with her, but eventually they had bought a pair of tickets and had flown off to the Eternal City. The photo was one of Blair laughing happily as she stood in front of the Coliseum while a man dressed in gladiatorial clothes held a fake sword to her neck. Smiling down at the photo in her hands, she couldn't believe that she had never noticed it sitting on his fireplace mantel before.

Downstairs, the woman crossed her arms at her chest and laughed lightly in disbelief.

"You came here to talk?" she asked him.

"You know what, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here," he muttered and came to leave when she stopped him.

"Don't go," she said softly. "Your company…even if it is only to talk is better than none at all."

With that, she led him towards the sofa and they both sat down as she pulled a small blanket over her arms for warmth.

"So what's troubling you?" she asked as he scoffed lightly.

"How about everything," he replied, slightly shaking his head.

Placing the photo back down, Blair ran her hands through her hair and sighed. Walking towards the bedroom, she glanced around herself quietly. The last time she had been there was after waking up following the club incident the previous week. When her eyes finally landed on the bed, she moved towards it, sat down and closed her eyes.

"Your father sounds like a jerk," the woman stated after hearing his explanation on everything that had happened. "And I can understand why your friend Nate would be upset with you, but he has no right to judge you or hold your friendship and the guilt you feel over your head as blackmail."

Chuck leaned back into the seat and remained silent.

"How long have the two of you been friends?" she asked, leaning one of her arms on the back of the sofa so she was facing him.

"Ever since we were five," he replied and smiled sadly. "He was always the perfect son and the golden boy and I was the black sheep."

"From what you've told me about him, he doesn't seem perfect at all," the woman expressed.

"But he's still my best friend," Chuck stated, facing her.

"That doesn't excuse his mistakes," she explained. "And if he's as good a person and friend as you still claim he is, then he will forgive you and see the error of his ways. _He_ will be the one to mend your broken friendship."

Nodding at her words, he smiled almost hopefully.

"Now this girl Blair," she began. "Tell me about her."

"We've been friends ever since we were five too," he began. "She and Nate dated for a long time, but neither were really happy in the relationship. They kind of brought each other down more than anything else."

"What's she like?" she asked.

"She's feisty and mean a lot of the time and she can be a complete bitch when she wants to," he said with a laugh as the woman watched him closely. "But deep down, she's passionate and real and she has a really big heart. She tries not to show it, but her bitchiness is usually a façade to cover up her insecurities. And she's beautiful…she's really, really beautiful."

Suddenly realizing how he had rambled on in his description, Chuck cleared his throat and sat up in his seat.

"You know, along those lines," he said under his breath.

The woman stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking up.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" she asked, a wry smile on her face.

Turning to face her, his eyes held a certain sadness that the woman was able to recognize.

"Yeah," he said quietly before another memory washed over him, causing him to smile. "I remember this one time when we were in Rome about two years ago…"

Upstairs, Blair leaned back in the bed and curled under the covers as a memory flooded into her mind.

_Rome was the most beautiful city in the world, according to Blair Waldorf. She loved being a witness to the illustrious history of the city at every corner she turned. Getting off of the double-decker tour bus, she dragged a tired and reluctant Chuck behind her towards the Trevi Fountain._

_"Chuck, just look at this," Blair exclaimed, gazing at the monument in front of her with excited eyes. "It's breathtaking."_

_"Whatever you say," he stated, trying his best to sound nonchalant._

_"Deny it all you want, but I know you agree with me," she said before grabbing his hand again. "Come on."_

_Pulling him through the large crowd of people who had gathered around the monument, they finally reached a vacant spot near the fountain._

_"Here," he said, removing a coin from his pocket and handing it to her. "Make a wish."_

_Smiling brightly at him, she closed her eyes and whispered something inaudible before tossing the coin over her shoulder into the water. Turning to see where it had landed, she gazed out at the water contently as he moved behind her. They were standing so close that she could feel his breath on her skin and the feeling made her tingle on the inside._

_"What did you wish for?" she asked in a whisper, his words pulling Blair out of her surprising thoughts._

_"Wouldn't you like to know," she said, causing them both to smile as she turned around to face him._

_Her back was leaned across the stone seating that stretched across the fountain while he stood directly in front of her. They stared into one another's eyes for a long moment, both unable to look away until a street vendor approached them from the side, forcing them to break eye contact. As Chuck spoke with the man and sifted through the necklaces he was selling, Blair shook her head in an effort to compose herself. She and Chuck had always had a flirtatious banter between them but this felt different to Blair. She had enjoyed the closeness of their bodies and the thought scared her. Looking back up at them, she watched as Chuck fetched a few bills out of his pocket and purchased one of the necklaces from the grateful merchant. The necklace had a blood-red stone attached to the center of a black string._

_"Here," he said, moving behind her and tying the necklace around her neck._

_She had slightly flinched when his fingers had touched her skin and had desperately prayed that he hadn't noticed. _

_"Chuck, you shouldn't have," she said as he stepped in front of her._

_"It's not like I can't afford it," he said with a slight laugh, dismissing her ridiculous claim._

_"I meant that it's really sweet of you," she said, smiling sadly at him._

_Nate had only ever bought her something after she had blatantly pointed it out to him. He had never made the effort to do something like this just to see her smile. Sighing at the thought, she watched as Chuck leaned forward and placed his fingers on the stone. His eyes were focused on the stone alone as he slowly stroked it._

_"Don't ever say I never gave you anything," he said with a smirk before removing his hand and looking up at her. "Just don't call me that ever again."_

_"What?" she asked, her smile widening. "Sweet?"_

_"Yes…that," he said, suddenly appearing uncomfortable in front of her._

_"What's wrong with sweet?" she asked with a laugh._

_"Do I look like a candy bar to you?" he asked and his words made her laugh louder. "I'm Chuck Bass...I'm _not_ sweet."_

_Smiling at him, she shook her head and grabbed his hand, leading him through the crowd._

Downstairs, Chuck exhaled softly.

"She probably wished for things between her and Nate to work out," he said bitterly.

"How do you know?" the woman asked. "For all you know, her wish revolved around you."

"Doubtful," he said and leaned his head into the leather.

Back in his suite on the thirtieth floor, Blair's hands moved to the jewelry around her neck that she had hidden under her blouse. It was the same necklace that he had given her in Rome with the blood-red stone attacked at the end. Smiling sadly, she remembered what she had wished for that day: for Chuck to always remain a part of her life in one form or another. Letting the necklace drop to her chest, she slowly rose to her feet and left the room.

"You should tell her how you feel," the woman stated as he faced her. "You've felt so strongly for her for so long. And by what you've said, it's clear that she feels something for you too."

He simply watched her as he spoke, his mind contemplating her words.

"She deserves to know that you love her and that you lied to protect your father," she finished.

Nodding at her slowly, a smile finally approached his face as he rose to his feet.

"Thank you," he said and came to leave, but suddenly turned around as she, too, rose from her seat. "What's your name?"

"Cynthia," she replied.

"Thank you Cynthia," he repeated as she nodded and smiled at him.

With that, he swung her door open and rushed into the hall. Pressing the button repeatedly, he waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive. When the doors finally opened, he was surprised to see Blair standing there.

"Blair?" he asked with a slight laugh, blinking a couple times to make sure she was actually standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she said quietly as he stepped in the middle of the elevator and held the doors open with one hand.

"Why?" he asked as she took a step towards him.

"I saw the argument with your father," she said and looked down at her hands. "I just wanted to see if you were alright."

Smiling at her, his eyes slowly landed on the necklace that she wore around her neck. Realizing that he had turned quiet, she leaned her eyes up and noticed what he was staring at.

"You…you still have that?" he asked as their eyes met.

The elevator door came to close, but he pushed it back with his hand again.

"I…," she began, trying to find the right words.

She had never meant for him to see the necklace, at least not at that very moment.

"I've worn it…every day," she finally admitted as he smiled at her.

"I can't believe it," he said, placing his fingers on the stone and stroking it. "You kept it."

Before she was able to respond, he pulled her forward with his one free arm and crushed his lips onto hers. Blair was surprised at first and although her mind was shouting at her to push him away, her heart yearned for his touch. Burying her hands in his hair, she invited the passion he poured into her mouth and kissed him back with the same intensity. Once they finally leaned back for air, they leaned their foreheads against one another and breathed loudly.

"Hey, you forgot this…," the woman's voice suddenly came as she ran up to him carrying his scarf in her hand, interrupting the moment he and Blair were sharing.

Noticing that he wasn't alone, she bit her tongue and stepped back as they both faced her. Chuck stared at her for a moment, suddenly realizing that he was standing in the middle of the elevator and turned back to Blair whose eyes instantly turned dark from anger and pain.

"No," he began as she angrily pushed him off of her and into the hallway. "Blair, it's not what you think!"

"Get away from me!" she snapped at him.

"I didn't sleep with her!" he expressed, pointing at the woman while keeping his eyes fixed on Blair. "We just talked. I just needed someone to talk to, that's it I swear."

"So you decided to talk to a lonely, beautiful woman in her hotel suite?" she snapped at him. "Doubtful."

"Okay, I know that this looks bad, but nothing happened. We just talked," he exclaimed. "I didn't sleep with her, Blair."

She stared at him for a moment, the hurt in her eyes apparent.

"But you _did_ sleep with the Dean's wife," she said as tears formed in her eyes.

She immediately looked away and before he was able to say anything else, the elevator doors closed shut in front of him.

"Damn it!" he snapped before pressing the button impatiently.

"I'm sorry," the woman stated quietly. "I'll just leave this with the manager downstairs."

With that, she turned and walked off as Chuck continued pressing the button, not having heard her. Realizing that none of the other elevators were close to that floor, he turned and rushed towards the staircase. Inside the elevator, Blair scolded herself for her stupidity as she wiped the tears away. When it finally stopped moving, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Just as the door opened and she was about to step out, she was pushed back in by a breathless Chuck who had made it to the lobby before her.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped and came to leave, but the doors had already closed and he had pressed the button for his floor.

"Blair, just let me explain," he pleaded with her.

"Why should I?" she spat at him. "I came here because despite everything, I was still worried about you. I waited upstairs at your place for over an hour and what do I find when I leave? You in another woman's suite!"

"I swear to you, we only talked," he said firmly and tried to reach out for her, but she yanked her arms away from him.

"I said don't touch me," she snapped and he took a step back.

The elevator finally reached his floor and she barged out.

"Just come inside and give me five minutes," he said, running after her and spinning her around. "Five minutes is all I ask. Then you can leave and never talk to me again. I'll leave you alone for good."

Staring at him for a moment, she silently pondered her options. Finally, against her better judgment, she nodded and followed him down the hall and into his home.

"You have five minutes," she said firmly as he closed the door.

Removing his overcoat and jacket, he tossed it onto the sofa and removed the tie from around his neck before facing her.

"I lied to you," he began.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she snapped at him as he sighed.

"Five uninterrupted minutes?" he asked and his words got him a glare in return.

"Four," she said as he smiled softly and nodded.

"A few years back, my dad developed an addiction to gambling," he began, stuffing one hand in his pocket and running the other through his hair. "It got so bad that he started taking money from his business partners without them knowing about it. Someone found out and the authorities got involved. He was charged with embezzlement."

Blair loosened the tight grip of her arms at her chest as she listened to him explain. She watched him in silence, not budging from her spot as he went on about his father.

"The guy in Monaco wanted to pull out of the deal and my father couldn't convince him not to over the phone so he decided to pay him a visit," he continued. "I tried telling him not to, but he didn't listen and asked me to go with him at the last minute. He managed to sneak into the country unnoticed with the help of a friend and when we got there, he went straight for the casino. I managed to convince the guy on my own to stay with my father and he finally agreed after two days. When I went to tell my father the news, he didn't even thank me for it. He simply went back to poker and the next morning, I found him in bed with the Dean's wife. He had been so drunk he didn't even know who he was sleeping with."

Blair's frown slowly softened at his words.

"Why did you say it was you?" she managed to ask.

"If they knew it was him, they'd realize that he'd skipped the country," he said quietly. "Ten years probation, Blair. He would have gone to jail."

She stared at him quietly, realization dawning upon her as he sighed and dropped his hands at his side.

"I never meant to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do, believe me," he said and Blair was able to hear the genuine sincerity in his voice. "At first I didn't tell you because I was afraid of it getting out. You know how gossip works in our circle."

Her mind brushed over the words Gossip Girl and she nodded in understanding.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I hate my father, I really do. But he _is_ my father nonetheless. My mom would never forgive me," he said.

Blair's eyes moved to the photo of him and his mother on his mantel before she turned back to him.

"And then I said to hell with it and wanted to tell you regardless, but you were so angry with me. The look in your eyes…," he began and looked away. "I don't know, I guess it just hurt that you thought I was like Nate…and that you thought I would hurt you like that. I just figured it was best not to say anything at all and just move on."

"But you're telling me now," she said and he smiled softly at her.

"That woman downstairs…she approached me at the lobby bar and gave me her room number. I went up there and although she thought I came to…you know…I told her I just wanted to talk and that's what we did," he explained.

"Why did you have to talk to her?" she asked quietly.

"Sometimes it's good to have someone to talk to," he replied and laughed wryly. "I mean, I don't exactly have too many people in my life anymore."

Blair's heart broke by his words although she tried her best not to show it.

"I'm sorry," he finally said and sighed.

Blair stared at him for a long moment, going over everything he had told her. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not, but he appeared incredibly vulnerable in front of her at that moment and that spoke volumes to her. Chuck Bass was never vulnerable in front of anyone else and the fact that he was laying everything out for her and waiting to see if she accepted him or not said it all to Blair.

Quickly closing the distance between them, she crushed her lips onto his and closed her arms around his neck. He was shocked at first by her move, but it took him mere seconds to wrap his arms around her small body and deepen the kiss. As his hands moved into her hair, Blair pulled her hands down to his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. Realizing what she was doing, he pulled away from her, leaving them both breathless.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.

"What does it look like?" she replied before finishing with the buttons and pulling the shirt off of his body.

Once she had tossed it aside, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him again. Pushing her body into his, she dragged her fingernails up and down his back as they began moving towards his bedroom. Lifting her up by her thighs, she locked her legs around his waist as he carried her towards the bed, all the while never breaking their kiss. Gently laying her on the sheets, he climbed down on top of her and ran his hand under her blouse. Pulling her jacket off and tossing it to the ground, he unbuttoned her blouse with his right hand and gently pulled the fabric off her skin. Suddenly breaking the kiss, he leaned up on his elbow and rubbed his eyes as she stared up at him, wearing only her skirt and undergarment.

"Are you sure?" he asked her in a whisper so quiet that she had hardly heard him.

Gazing up into his eyes, she remained silent.

"I mean, I know you've never…," he began and smiled. "We don't have to do this."

Placing her hand on his chest, she leaned her body up and kissed him again.

"Does that answer your question?" she replied, her whisper as quiet as his.

His smile softened as he pulled away and kneeled down in front of her. She was confused at first but her frown disappeared when his hands moved to her skirt. Watching him nervously, Blair bit her lower lip as he pulled her skirt off her legs and tossed it on the ground, leaving the red stockings she wore on her legs. Lifting her right leg, he slowly slid the stockings off followed by the left before gazing down at her.

"If I do anything that you don't like, all you have to do is tell me," he said as she gazed up at him nervously.

She was lying on the bed in front of him in nothing but her underwear, but all he did was gaze into her eyes and it helped Blair relax. Smiling down at her, his eyes moved to the necklace that was tied around her neck and his smile widened. Wanting to feel the warmth of his body against hers, she reached her hands out to him. Locking his fingers with hers, he lied down on top of her and pressed their bodies into the sheets. Moving his lips up her neck, he planted soft kisses on her skin before reaching her mouth. Their kiss quickly deepened as gentle rain drops began descending from the sky outside.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter XIV

Opening her eyes slowly, Blair exhaled softly and blinked a few times to focus. Staring straight ahead of her, she realized that she wasn't in her own bedroom. Fear suddenly crept into her mind as she tried to figure out where she was, but then she felt the weight of an arm draped across her waist and the memories of last night flooded back to her. She was in Chuck's suite and after a lengthy argument, they had made love for the first time. Glancing at the arm that laid across her waist, she smiled at how tightly he held onto her. Her back was to him and he had tucked his face into the crook of her neck, breathing quietly against her skin. Not wanting to wake him but needing to see his face, Blair slowly turned around in his arms so she was facing him.

His eyes were closed and he was sleeping soundly in her arms. Only a thin sheet was covering their bodies and although Blair would have normally covered herself more properly, seeing his peaceful sleeping face removed such thoughts from her mind. A smile gradually formed on her lips as she lied in his arms, watching his face as he breathed. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his skin and began tracing the contours of his face with her fingers. His eyes immediately shot open by her touch and not being prepared to see him awake, Blair let out a small gasp. He blinked a couple times to focus his eyes and after a few seconds, his tight lips grew into a warm smile.

"Hi," he said, his voice groggy with sleep, but still oozing in sexiness.

"Hi," she replied, blushing lightly.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips onto hers and kissed her tenderly. He then moved his body forward so she was on her back while he crawled on top of her. Closing the distance between them, he placed another soft kiss on her lips before touching his forehead with hers and sighing contently. Blair was beyond stunned by his tenderness towards her, having expected him to flood her with smug comments about last night. But all he did was hold onto the sides of her neck and gently caress her skin, his behavior and touches sending a chill down her spine.

"How did you sleep?" he asked her, opening his eyes and leaning his head back so he could see her eyes.

"Good," she replied and wanting to offer him more than her single-word response, she smiled wryly. "Comfortably."

He smiled at her second reply and leaned down for another kiss. Their kiss was incredibly tender and the moment they were sharing was so intimate that Blair felt as if she were floating. Leaning back, he crawled off of her and lied by her side. Feeling cold by his sudden move, Blair inched closer to him and crawled on top of his legs, straddling him. Their fingers interlocked as she leaned down and captured his lips with hers for another kiss, the thin bed sheet the only thing between their bodies. Her messy hair fell on her shoulders as she leaned back to gaze down at him. Burying his hands in her hair, he immediately pulled her back and kissed her again.

"Last night was amazing," he finally said, falling back onto the bed as she stared at him. "You were amazing."

Blair immediately blushed by his words and looked away, but he turned her face back to his.

"Don't feel embarrassed or ashamed," he said, calming her nerves. "Right now, you look so beautiful."

Blair was not use to compliments like this, especially from Chuck. Although Nate and many others had always admired her beauty, there was something different in the way Chuck had just spoken the words. He wasn't smiling smugly as he spoke them, but rather had a serious look on his face. Creeping down towards him, she placed her hands lightly on his chest and kissed him once more.

"So…," he began as she leaned back slightly. "Care for round two?"

Blair smiled at his words, realizing that his armor was back on and that his arrogant-former self had returned.

"As much as I'd like to…," she began and kissed his lips again. "It's almost seven o'clock…and we have school."

He immediately pulled away from her and she leaned back up in confusion.

"What is it?" she asked with a slight frown.

"_You_ have school," he said, pulling away and getting out of bed as she realized what she had said.

He didn't bother covering himself up and Blair blushed slightly at the sight as he walked around his room in nothing but his birth clothes. Once he had finally dressed in his underpants and slacks, he turned to see Blair holding his shirt.

"Can I have my shirt?" he asked her.

She held it out to him and when he came to seize it, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back down onto the bed, on top of her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't realize what I had said."

"You have nothing to apologize for," he said and sighed. "I'm the one who's stuck in this damn mess of a situation courtesy of my father."

Sensing how stressed he was, Blair smiled suggestively and kissed him like she had last night.

"But you're going to be late," he said, in-between kisses.

She ignored his words and wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to comfort him in any way she could. His body was stiff at first, but he quickly relaxed and took charge of their kiss. Pulling her body up, he sat down on the edge of the bed as she sat down on his lap, her legs curled around his waist with the sheet around her body. He buried his hands in her hair and pulled her face even closer to his, deepening their kiss. Just as his hands traveled south and began pulling the sheet away from her small frame, the phone on his night stand rang, interrupting the moment between them. With Blair still on his lap and her face buried in the crook of his neck, he leaned to the side and picked up his phone receiver.

Blair simply closed her eyes and held onto his body as he spoke into the telephone. After a few moments of listening to his side of the conversation, she realized how tense he was becoming and she leaned back to face him.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he hung up and faced her.

"Nothing," he replied, a fake smile on his lips.

"Chuck," she said firmly and he let out a sigh.

"My father's downstairs waiting for me," he said.

"You should go talk to him," Blair started.

"I have nothing to say to him," he cut her off.

"It's his fault that you got kicked out of school and that's not a small thing. It's the rest of your future, Chuck," she explained. "Go and talk to him. Maybe he can work something out with the Dean. It's the least he owes you after doing what you did."

Sighing again, but not necessarily agreeing with her, he got up from the bed and placed her down on her feet.

"The movers are here too," he said, grabbing his shirt from the bed.

"Movers?" she asked with a frown.

"Yeah, last night before…all of this," he began to explain. "I asked the manager downstairs to call some movers for me."

"What are you talking about? Where are you going?" she asked in a rushed voice.

"I just need to get away from here…from this hotel," he replied in frustration.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Don't move away."

"Why?" he asked her.

"Because where would you and I…?" she asked and looked away with a slight blush from her own words.

Chuck couldn't help but laugh and when she gave him a cross look, he shook his head.

"It's so different seeing you this way…so unguarded," he said, the smile still on his face. "You don't always have to be Queen Bitch."

"And you don't always have to be the arrogant Casanova," she replied, the tenderness they had been sharing not getting in the way of her snarky comeback.

"There you are, Waldorf. I thought you had vanished for a moment there," he said as she gave him a victorious smile. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be right back."

With that, he grabbed his towel and moved towards the bathroom, but immediately turned and walked back towards her. Pulling her body to his, he leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her lips before disappearing inside the bathroom. Blair couldn't help but smile as she sat back down on the bed and glanced around herself. Why was she acting this way? She seemed almost…giddy? Is that how it was after having sex? Feeling this way? She and Chuck, the two people who were known for their certain personality traits, were acting like a bunch of young teenagers in love. The thought made Blair stop dead in her tracks. Was that why she was acting that way? Was it love?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a vibrating cell phone. Glancing around the room, she noticed Chuck's cell phone vibrating on the other night stand and walked towards it. Not wanting to answer, she couldn't help but glance down at the caller ID which wrote the name Celina. Her mind quickly wandered back to the night of the debutante ball when he had arrived with the beautiful Brazilian girl on his arms. She had only been in the city for a few days and already he had her on his contact list. Blair then remembered how she had felt after he had spoken the words: 'it was me'. Although she now knew that he had not slept with the Dean's wife or the woman from last night, she couldn't help but rid her insecure feelings. He was, after all, known for his womanizing ways and although Blair knew there was so much more to him than the booze and the countless women who were always around him, she couldn't shake the thought of being hurt again. As much as last night had arguably been the best of her life, Blair couldn't open herself up to more hurt. She trusted Chuck, now…much more than before. But the insecurities she had still lingered in the back of her mind and she wasn't about to let her heart break again.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Chuck, who left the bathroom with his pants on but his top still bare as he dried his hair with his towel. He immediately leaned in to kiss her and felt a difference in her attitude from moments ago.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she looked up at him.

"I was thinking…," she began, trying her hardest to appear relaxed. "I want to keep this thing that's between us…casual."

"Define casual," he began with a slight frown.

"As in you and I see one another and do…well you know," she said with a grin, hoping to see him smile back, but he simply stared at her.

She knew the next part might hurt him, but she cleared her throat and continued.

"But we can also see other people," she finished.

She was prepared for everything except the look he had in his eyes. His face seemed pained by her words and he hardly tried to hide it from her.

"Do you regret last night?" he suddenly asked her.

"What?" she began and shook her head. "No, it's not like that. I don't regret it…I just don't want to rush into anything. I want to keep things…casual. Can you do that?"

He stared at her for a long moment and the silence began driving Blair crazy.

"Sure…I am Casanova as you put it. Casual is what I do," he finally said, plastering a fake smile on his face. "You should hurry up and shower or you'll be late. There are some spare towels in the bathroom."

Blair realized how she had hurt him just now, but after everything Nate had put her through and even Chuck the past few days, she just couldn't bring herself to be unguarded. Nodding at his words, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips, but was hurt when he didn't kiss her back. Turning away, she quietly moved towards the bathroom and closed the door as he watched her go. Exhaling aloud, he finished getting dressed and made the bed, placing her clothes on the end before grabbing his keys and leaving the suite. Inside, once Blair had finished showering, she walked out of the bathroom with her towel wrapped around her body.

"Hey, I was thinking…," she began, but stopped when she noticed he wasn't in the bedroom. "Chuck?"

After calling out his name a few times, she realized that he had already left. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she sighed and glanced down at her hands sadly.

_Could the notorious ladies-man actually be her Prince Charming? Would he stick around long enough for her to find out or will Blair eventually drive him away with her insecurities? Don't be fooled, B. C is definitely not like N. XOXO Gossip Girl_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter XV

Stepping out of the elevator, Chuck walked towards the main desk and was greeted by the Hotel Manager.

"Good morning, Sir. Would you like me to ask Steven to show the movers upstairs?" he asked in a pleasant tone.

Sighing, Chuck shook his head. "Can you please put their cost on my tab and send them home?"

"Second thoughts, Mr. Bass?" the man asked and Chuck nodded. "I will take care of it right away."

"Thank you," Chuck stated.

"And your father is here, Sir," the Manager stated, pointing to the side.

Following his direction, he noticed Bart seated at the bar by himself. Walking towards him, he sat down at the empty bar as his father turned to face him from his untouched martini.

"I just wanted you to know that I've hired an attorney for you," he began as Chuck sighed, clearly disappointed by his father's words. "He'll go before the disciplinary committee to defend you."

"That's it?" Chuck asked, causing Bart to frown. "You came all this way at seven in the morning to tell me _that_ when you could have easily asked your secretary to do it?"

"What are you talking about? Stella doesn't do everything for me," Bart began.

"Seven birthdays and all I received was either nothing at all or a phone call from _her_ wishing me a happy birthday on your behalf," Chuck replied.

"Stop acting like such a child, Charlie," his father expressed. "So I missed a couple birthdays. Grow up and get over it."

Chuck simply stared at his father for a long moment, unsure of what to say.

"Now, as I said, your attorney will be going before the committee this afternoon," he continued as Chuck looked away.

"Fine," he replied in defeat.

"Enough with the attitude," Bart stated as Chuck faced him.

"So there's nothing else you want to say to me?" he asked. "There's no other reason why you're here?"

"Why else would I come?" Bart asked in reply as Chuck smiled softly.

"You can't even take a hint, can you? I guess this is one of the years you forgot," Chuck expressed before rising to his feet and finishing his father's drink.

With that, he turned and left the bar, leaving a confused Bart behind. After a moment of thought, Bart slowly realized what his son had meant earlier. It was his birthday today and Bart had yet again managed to disappoint him. Why was he so different with everyone else and so hard on his son? He had done nothing but try to make him proud over the years. He had even gone so far to get himself expelled from school to keep him out of jail for a mess that Bart had created on his own and all he could do is berate and disappoint him over and over again. Sighing, Bart glanced at the space his son had recently occupied before looking down.

Once Blair arrived at school, she was greeted by Serena's array of questions. Refusing to say anything until class was over, they eventually met up with one another during lunch. Sitting on the steps outside, Blair stared down at the food on her lap for a silent moment, having lost her appetite that morning.

"So," Serena began. "Spill, B. Where were you last night? I called you a few times, but your cell went straight to voicemail."

"Why does it matter?" Blair said in reply.

"You left school looking for Chuck and then you show up at school this morning," Serena stated. "And you look different. I'm not sure how, but you do."

Blair looked away at the words as Serena continued.

"So what happened? Did you find Chuck? Did you guys talk?" she asked as Blair faced her. "Did…?"

She immediately stopped talking as realization dawned upon her.

"Wait…Blair, did you sleep with him?" Serena asked aloud.

"Be quiet!" Blair hissed at her. "All I need is more gossip attached to my name."

"Sorry," Serena expressed, lowering her voice and leaning forward. "Did you?"

All Blair had to do was look up at her and Serena had her answer.

"This is huge," she exclaimed, surprise written all over her face. "I just thought you wanted to wait."

"It's just…," Blair began and let out a sigh. "I don't know. I went to his place and waited around for a while but he didn't show up. Then I saw a picture he had of me on his fireplace mantel and I just started feeling a bit overwhelmed. I left and the elevator stopped on another floor and I saw him getting on. He was surprised to see me and then he saw this."

Removing the necklace from around her neck, she showed it to Serena.

"What about it? You said you got it in Rome," Serena replied, mildly confused.

"I meant to say that _he_ bought it for me in Rome," Blair explained as Serena's eyes widened.

"You mean the necklace you've worn every day for two years…is one that Chuck bought you?" she asked and Blair nodded. "How come you never told me?"

"I don't know," she replied, shaking her head. "We came back home and Nate and I got back together and things just sort of fell into place again."

"Alright, so what happened yesterday?" Serena asked.

"Well, we kissed but we were interrupted by a woman who came running after him carrying his scarf," Blair continued. "I was angry at first, but we eventually went to his place and he explained everything to me. How he hadn't slept with that woman and how he hadn't been with the Dean's wife either. It was his dad, Serena."

"Don't hate me but I already know," Serena stated, causing her best friend's eyes to widen.

"What? How?" she asked.

"I met up with Chuck the day after the debutant ball to give him a piece of my mind. That's when he explained everything to me," she replied. "I wanted to tell you and more importantly, I wanted _him_ to tell you but he made me promise not to. He was just worried that word would get out and his father would go to jail."

"I can't believe this," Blair began.

"Are you mad?" Serena inquired quietly.

"Yes," she replied and shrugged her shoulders. "And no; I get that he made you promise. I guess I don't blame either of you, really."

Sighing in relief, Serena smiled. "So what happened after?"

"I don't know what came over me," Blair began. "He just seemed so honest and vulnerable, standing in front of me and explaining everything. And I felt so bad for him because of his father. I mean, what kind of parent would let their child do that for them in the first place, and then not even be grateful afterwards?"

"I know," Serena said in agreement.

"I don't know, we just started kissing and one thing led to another," Blair stated. "But he was really gentle with me, if you can believe that. He kept asking me if I was sure."

"How do you feel now?" Serena asked. "Do you regret it?"

"Not at all," Blair said with a shy smile, causing her friend to smile as well.

"Then why do you seem so upset?" Serena inquired.

"In the morning, he was really sweet with me. He gave me compliments and threw the miserable 'morning after' cliché out the door," she explained.

"Well, that sounds pretty nice…and unlike Chuck," Serena said with a laugh. "I don't get why you're so down, though."

"He went to take a shower and I heard his phone vibrating. I didn't answer it, but I glanced at who was calling him and it was the name of that girl he had brought with him to the debutant ball…Celina something," Blair replied. "I just stared feeling insecure again about everything that had happened with him the past few days and with Nate all those years. I told him I wanted things to be casual between us."

"You said that?" Serena asked in surprise. "What did he say?"

"He was hurt by it, but he agreed," Blair replied. "Why did I say that?"

"You have your reasons, Blair. Don't beat yourself up over it," Serena comforted her friend. "And if Chuck cares about you as much as I think he does, then he'll wait until you're ready."

"It's just that with everything going on with him at school and with his father, I kind of made things worse for him, you know," Blair began.

"No you didn't," Serena said firmly. "You have every right to be insecure, especially after your last relationship with Nate."

"I just want to make sure that he won't break my heart, you know. I can't go through that again," Blair began sadly. "It may be wrong, but I need him to prove that he cares about me."

"He does, Blair, trust me," Serena assured her.

"Well, my mind keeps thinking about that woman, though, and the Dean's wife," Blair stated. "I know he wasn't with either of them, but he has been with dozens of others before. I just need to know that he'll be faithful, you know?"

"You don't have to explain anything to me, B. I get where you're coming from," Serena stated as both friends smiled at one another. "Just be careful, Blair."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown.

"I just don't want you to end up pushing him away hard enough that he won't come back," she stated. "Like you said, he's got a lot on his plate right now and maybe what he needs is some stability more than anything else and a casual relationship is anything but stable."

Mentally going over her friend's thoughts, she nodded as they both began eating their lunch. Before the final bell rang, Chuck's limousine pulled to a stop in front of the school. Getting out, he leaned his back on the side of the vehicle and waited in silence until the students began piling out. Being one of the first to get out, Nate noticed his friend and began approaching him quietly.

"Hey," he said as Chuck faced him, surprise written on his face.

"Hey back," he replied.

"How have you been?" Nate asked.

"Alright I guess," he stated. "You?"

"I'm okay," Nate said with a slight shrug. "How are things with school?"

"They expelled me," Chuck replied simply, causing Nate to secretly cringe at the thought. "My father got me an attorney who went before the disciplinary committee today. I'm waiting on the word."

"I'm really sorry for everything you're going through," Nate suddenly said, causing Chuck to frown.

"What are you talking about?" he asked in reply. "I slept with the Dean's wife. I should be punished."

Nate silently stared at his friend for a moment, wanting to be truthful with him but he bit his tongue at the last second.

"It doesn't mean you should be expelled though. You don't deserve that," he finally said as Chuck smiled softly.

"Why are you even talking to me?" he asked. "Last time we spoke, you pretty much told me how much you hated me and never wanted to see me again. What changed?"

"I guess I had a change of heart," Nate replied with a shrug. "I'm still pissed about everything with Blair, but…"

"But what?" Chuck asked, not caring that all eyes of the student population were on them as they passed by.

"But you're my best friend," Nate finally said. "I miss you, man."

Before Chuck was able to say anything, Nate leaned forward and pulled him into an embrace. Surprised at first, he eventually hugged him back before they both leaned away.

"I got to go," Nate stated. "I'll see you later, man."

With that, he came to leave but immediately turned back.

"Happy birthday," Nate expressed, causing Chuck to smile through a confused expression as he walked away.

Before his mind was able to articulate any thoughts on the encounter, he noticed Blair walking towards him.

"Hi," she said, smiling wryly and surprised to see him there.

"Hey," he replied, focusing his attention on her.

"Are you here to pick me up? Because that hardly sounds casual," Blair began, wanting to lighten the mood between them.

But he simply stared at her, causing Blair to lose her smile.

"No, I'm actually waiting for my attorney," he replied. "My dad hired a lawyer for me and the guy went before the disciplinary committee today."

"Oh," Blair replied, happy that things seemed to be getting better for him but disappointed nonetheless. "Are you going to go to Hazel's party tonight?"

"Not really in the mood," he responded. "Unless you're going."

Blair smiled at his final words and casually shrugged her shoulders.

"Serena's dragging me with her because she's nervous to be alone with Dan," she replied with a slight laugh. "So I guess I'll see you there then?"

"Yeah," he replied with a nod.

With that, she gave him a small smile before walking away. He watched her go for a long time, until she had completely disappeared from his view. Like Chuck, Hazel was known for throwing wild parties. Some birthday this was turning out to be, Chuck thought to himself before heading towards the school.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter XVI

It had taken her over an hour to get ready for Hazel's party that night. After going through a dozen outfits, Blair finally decided on a short red dress. With her hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, she smiled at her reflection before tying the necklace Chuck had given her around her neck. Pleased with how she looked, Blair grabbed her small black purse and made her way out of her bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later, her driver pulled to a stop in front of Hazel's rather large house. Her father was a CEO of an Engineering Firm and had created a wealthy and lavish lifestyle for his family. Stepping out of the car, Blair made her way towards the front door. Flashing her signature Waldorf smile at the young boy who stood at the door to let the guests in, Blair walked inside the large dwelling. Music was blaring in the background as she made her way down the hall and into the spacey living room which had been cleared out for the party. Over twenty people had already arrived before her and glancing around the area, she noticed Serena and Dan standing by the snacks.

"Hey," she said, approaching them from behind.

"B, I was wondering where you were," Serena exclaimed, hugging her quickly. "And here I thought I took forever to get ready."

"It was worth it," Dan stated, admiring her looks as Serena slightly blushed.

"Humphrey, why don't you get us some drinks while Serena and I chat behind your back," Blair began as her friend's eyes widened.

Laughing at her words, Dan shook his head and walked off.

"Blair," Serena began.

"Relax, he knew we were going to talk about him anyway," Blair replied, brushing her comment off. "You look really great. He's practically drooling over you."

Serena blushed again, this time making Blair laugh slightly.

"It's so weird. I've never seen you like this," she commented as Serena smiled.

"I could say the same for you," she said. "You know, I've never seen you more happy and sad and angry at one time in your entire life before."

Glancing around herself, Blair nodded absently.

"Is he here?" she asked, looking back at her friend.

"Not yet," Serena replied. "I'll be surprised if he does come, though."

"What do you mean?" Blair asked with a slight frown.

"Well, word is that things didn't go too well between his attorney and the disciplinary committee today," she replied before looking past Blair's shoulder. "I spoke too soon."

Turning to face the opposite end of the large room, Blair immediately smiled when she saw him. He was dressed in a dark navy suit with a tie around his neck as he glanced through the crowd of people.

"Look at you smiling," Serena commented as they faced one another. "B, you're blushing."

"I _don't_ blush," Blair defended her self hastily. "That's _your_ job."

"Well, don't look now, but here he comes," Serena said before waving at Chuck and walking towards Dan.

Before she was able to turn around to greet him, she felt his lips on her cheek from behind.

"Hey," he said quietly as she faced him.

"Hey back," she replied with a small smile. "You came."

"I said I would," he said with a shrug and looked away.

"What happened with school?" Blair asked as he faced her again.

"It didn't go too well. They're letting us go back tomorrow for a last plea before they make their final ruling," he said quietly.

"Everything will be okay," she said firmly as he smiled wryly at her. "Now, what you need is to have some fun. That's what this party is for tonight."

Before he was able to say something, a young boy walked by them and smiled suggestively at Blair, admiring her dress. Catching the guy's look, Chuck took a step back from her, remembering her words to him that morning.

"And we're casual," he said with a forced smile. "I won't take up your time. Go and have fun."

"Chuck…," she began sadly but he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Go," he said as she sighed and walked away from him.

He watched her go towards another group of people before making his way towards the refreshments. Grabbing the first drink he saw, he downed it easily before grabbing a second and making his way to the backyard patio.

Although she had been the one to suggest the 'casual relationship', Blair felt bored and lonely for most of the night as she and Chuck remained on opposite sides of the house and Serena was busy flirting with Dan. She had stolen glances at him between every conversation and was embarrassed when he had caught her one time.

After an hour of mingling with almost everyone at the party, Blair made her way outside, eager to find him. Her eyes finally caught site of him in a corner with Celina who was using her charm to flirt with him. Feeling dejected and angry at the scene before her, she stormed back inside and head straight towards the refreshment table. Just as she downed the first cup, the same guy who had admired her earlier approached her from the side.

"Blair, right?" he said as she turned to him. "I'm Aaron."

If Chuck was going to spend the night with someone else, then she would too. Smiling at him, she clanked her cup with his just as Chuck and Celina made their way inside. His eyes immediately landed on her and he noticed her flirtatious behavior with the guy from before. Just as he was about to approach them and tell the guy to back off, they were interrupted by Hazel who pulled her group together.

"Guys, Isabel and I got to talking," she began excitedly. "Anyone care for a game of truth and dare?"

"No," Serena said, shaking her head. "Nothing good ever comes of this."

"Oh come one," Blair began, her eyes shooting daggers at Chuck who stood directly before her. "It'll be fun."

Hazel glanced over at him and he simply shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Then it's settled," she exclaimed. "Come on."

Leading her group outside while others partied indoors, they stopped on the porch and faced one another in a small circle. The group consisted of Blair, Aaron, Serena, Dan, Hazel, Isabel, Chuck and Celina.

"Who wants to go first?" Hazel asked.

When there were no volunteers, she shook her head and pointed to herself.

"I'll go," she began and faced Serena who appeared mortified to be chosen first. "Truth or dare, Serena?"

Quietly glancing at Dan, she sighed. "Truth."

"Okay," Hazel began and wondered her question for a minute before speaking up. "Do you like Dan?"

Everyone's eyes landed on her frozen figure, including Dan who seemed especially interested in the answer.

"I hate this game," she mumbled.

"You chose truth," Isabel stated as Serena tossed both girls a bitter glare.

"Fine," she said and cleared her throat. "Yes, I do. Are you happy now?"

Dan looked away with a smile on his face, leaving Serena incredibly embarrassed, which Blair noticed.

"Come on, it's just a game," Hazel defended.

"Really?" Blair said aloud. "Well then, truth or dare Hazel?"

"Truth," the girl said after a moment.

"Is it true that you went to second base with your father's best friend at his wedding reception?" Blair asked.

As their group began laughing quietly, Hazel's cheeks turned bright red. Serena gave Blair a thankful smile as she nodded in satisfaction. Her eyes then traveled to Chuck who was staring at the ground with a grin planted on his face, pleased with the scandalous information she had just divulged.

"Your turn Blair," Hazel said, having noticed her lingering gaze in Chuck's direction.

Before she replied, Blair noticed Celina snaking her arm through Chuck's and planting her chin on his shoulder. Jealous by the move, she pulled Aaron's arm closer to her; a move that Chuck noticed as well as everybody else.

"Dare," she finally said.

"Alright, then I dare you to kiss…," Hazel began and looked around the circle.

"Please, is that the best you can come up with?" Blair asked with a laugh.

"Kiss Chuck," Hazel stated, cutting her off.

The smile immediately left her face as she and Chuck made eye contact. She was frozen at first, but eventually cleared her throat and found her voice.

"I've kissed worse," she stated, causing him to grow tense.

Serena noticed the tension between them and came to interject but she was stopped by Blair who moved towards him. Breathing heavily, she leaned forward and pressed her lips onto his. Their eyes both immediately closed as his hands moved to her waist and he pulled her closer to him. Oblivious that everyone was staring at them in shock, Blair wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Finally pulling back for air, reality came crashing down on them and Blair immediately pulled away. Stepping away from him, she turned and ran into the house as Chuck watched her go.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting an R-rated kiss," Hazel commented as she and Isabel laughed.

Serena came to go after her, but Chuck pulled her back.

"I'll go," he said before heading in the same direction as her.

Making his way outside, he glanced around himself and finally noticed her standing near his limousine with her back to him. Exhaling quietly, he paused for a moment before finally approaching her.

"Are you alright?" he asked as she spun around to face him.

"Why were you flirting with her?" she demanded, her question taking him aback.

"What? Who?" he asked in confusion.

"That Brazilian Goddess," Blair stated sarcastically.

"What are you talking about? I wasn't flirting with her," he defended.

"She was throwing herself at you and you were practically drooling," Blair exclaimed.

"Have you lost your mind?" he asked with a scoff. "We were talking, that's it."

"Is she the type of girl you want?" she continued, cutting her off. "The tall, gorgeous model type? The one who would give you a night to remember?"

"I want _you_, Blair," he stated firmly, causing her to shut her mouth. "Damn it, I want _you_. But there's no point in me trying to convince you if you're so eager to refute it."

She simply stood there and stared at him as he ran a hand through his hair.

"_You_ gave me a night to remember, Blair…last night," he expressed. "Waking up and seeing you there with me was all I wanted and I got that. You're what I want."

Sighing, he rubbed his face as she continued to stare at him.

"And what the hell is with you anyway?" he asked angrily. "You're the one who wanted to keep this casual. Then the second I talk to someone else, you blow a fuse? What's it going to be, Blair?"

When she said nothing, he shook his head in frustration and threw his hands in the air.

"You know what, it's been a long day,"" he said. "I'm out of here."

Walking towards his limousine, he opened the door and climbed inside, giving his driver a destination before closing the inner window. Just before the vehicle was to pull away, the door opened again and Blair got in beside him.

"What now?" he asked her, not in the mood for another argument.

But her response was something he was not expecting. She leaned forward and pulled his face towards hers. Pressing her lips to his, she began kissing him urgently. He was surprised by her move at first, but then pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her back. Without exchanging any words, they began pulling at each other's clothes, all the while never breaking their kiss. As the driver pulled onto the main road, they began making love in the back of his limousine.

Once they had finished, Blair sat curled on his lap as he draped his coat over them. Breathing heavily, she held onto the sides of his neck and buried her face in his chest as he slowly stroked her back. Leaning away slightly to face him with a dazed look in her eyes, Blair captured his lips with hers again, this time more tenderly than before. After changing the destination to her place, they wore their clothes and tidied their appearances just as the driver pulled to a stop on the side of the street. Getting out, he leaned his back on the side of the vehicle as she stood in between his legs.

"I've never done that before," she said with a shy laugh as he leaned forward and caressed her cheek.

Staring into his eyes for a moment and leaning into his touch, Blair smiled softly at him.

"Come inside with me," she suggested.

"I shouldn't," he replied. "Your mom's probably home."

"She has a charity event that she went to tonight. She won't be home for a while," Blair explained and took his hands in hers. "Come inside."

Giving in to her command, he relieved his driver from his duties and followed her to the front door. Walking inside the dark house, they made their way up the stairs towards her bedroom.

"I'll be right back," she said before dropping her purse on her dresser and walking out.

He glanced around her room for a couple minutes, taking in her décor before sitting down on the edge of the bed. When Blair returned, her hands were behind her back hiding something. Stepping in front of him, she laughed nervously.

"There's something I've wanted to give you all day," she began as he placed his hands on the sides of her waist and pulled her in closer to him.

"What?" he whispered.

Bringing her hands forward, she revealed a small cupcake with a single lit candle in the center.

"Happy birthday," she said as a wide smile covered his face. "I wanted to give you this all day, but I couldn't find the right time. I know it's not much but…"

Before she was able to say anything else, he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her rather passionately. Pulling back breathlessly, she smiled at him as he chuckled lightly.

"How is any of this casual?" he asked as she stared at him, but spoke no words.   
Leaning forward, he quietly blew out the candle, leaving them in the darkness of the room as their lips met once more.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter XVII

Slowly opening her eyes, Blair looked straight ahead and realized that she was in her own room. Feeling a weight beside her, she turned around in the bed until she was face to face with Chuck. His eyes were closed and he was breathing peacefully. Snuggling closer to him, she placed her head on his chest and listened to the gentle beating of his heart. As she placed her hand over his heart, she felt him move under her, wrap his left arm around her back and cover her hand with his right. His move caused her to smile as she tilted her face up to meet his sleepy gaze.

"Hi," she greeted him as he smiled at her.

"Hi back," he replied before removing his hand from hers and rubbing his face. "What time is it?"

"I don't know," Blair replied absently before touching his cheek and turning his face towards hers.

Leaning forward, she gently pressed her lips to his and softly kissed him. He tightened his hold around her body and pulled back with a content expression on his face.

"It's seven-fifteen," a voice suddenly came, pulling them out of their bliss.

They both immediately pulled away and glanced towards the door where an amused Eleanor was standing with her arms crossed at her chest.

"Hello Chuck," she greeted as Blair looked away embarrassed.

"Good morning Mrs. Waldorf," he mumbled shyly.

Although they were frozen at first, Chuck finally snapped out of his daze and quickly got out of bed, turning towards Blair.

"I'll see you at school. Their giving their final decision this afternoon," he said before leaning in to kiss her.

Stopping midway when he realized Eleanor was still standing there, he finally kissed her cheek and nervously slipped out of the room. Eleanor watched him go with a slight laugh before turning towards her daughter.

"This is a surprise," she began.

"Mom, nothing happened, I swear," Blair expressed, carefully leaving out the details involving his limousine. "We fell asleep."

"I believe you," Eleanor said after a moment before breaking out into another smile. "I'm surprised to say this, but the two of you looked rather cute lying there together."

Blair looked away bashfully as Eleanor shook her head.

"Get changed and come down for breakfast," she said before leaving the room.

Walking down the stairs, Eleanor was glad to see Chuck was waiting for his driver to pick him up outside their house. Opening the door, she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Chuck," she said as he stared at her speechlessly. "I just want you to know that I have heard about your past…let's just say activities."

"Yes Ma'am," he said and scolded himself for acting like an idiot in front of her.

Eleanor, however, was entertained by his apprehensive behavior and smiled at him.

"If my daughter trusts you, then I will try and trust you too," she continued. "But my daughter has been hurt one too many times in her life from her father leaving to Nate and even Serena. Her heart can't bear any more pain, do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am," he repeated.

"Now although I said I will try and trust you, your past actions have not gone unnoticed. Especially your indiscretion with the Dean's young wife," Eleanor stated firmly. "That was not your finest hour, young man. And if you have any shot of being with my daughter, then you will need to get your act together and do it fast."

"I understand Mrs. Waldorf and I need you to know that I have no intention of hurting your daughter. I know my past is not exactly spotless, but she's different. How I feel about her is different," he exclaimed.

Although he had wanted to explain the truth to her, he knew he had to keep it quiet.

"Good, let's keep it that way," Eleanor stated and pointed to his limousine which had just pulled up.

Mumbling a goodbye, he turned and scrambled into his car as Eleanor turned and walked back inside. Heading into the kitchen, she sat down on one of the stools and took a sip of her coffee as Blair walked in and sat opposite her.

"I'm really sorry, mom," Blair began. "It won't happen again."

"That's good to know," Eleanor agreed. "You can only imagine my shock seeing you fast asleep with _Chuck Bass_."

"He's not a bad guy, mom," Blair began.

"Sweetheart, he slept with the Dean's wife a few days ago…right after you and he almost kissed just outside our door, if I remember correctly," Eleanor reminded her.

"But that's the thing, he didn't," Blair blurted out before she bit her tongue, realizing what she had just said.

"What are you talking about?" Eleanor asked, setting her coffee down.

"Nothing," Blair mumbled and took a bite of the croissant in front of her.

"Blair," her mother said sternly. "The boy has been expelled for his actions. What are you not telling me?"

Blair stared at her mom for a long moment, her mind debating on whether or not to tell her the truth. Finally making a decision, she sighed.

"It was his father," she stated as Eleanor frowned.

"_Bart_ slept with her?" she asked in surprise. "But why did Chuck lie then? The Dean confronted him at the debutant ball. Why did he lie for him?"

Knowing that she would have to explain everything, Blair started from the beginning of the story. Eleanor's facial expression went from shock to sadness to anger and back to shock.

"Oh my God," she expressed after hearing the entire story. "I never thought…"

"I know," Blair agreed. "They managed to keep things pretty quiet."

"So Chuck lied for his father to keep him out of prison?" Eleanor asked as Blair nodded.

"And he hasn't even been grateful. He's scolded Chuck for destroying his future while not even appreciating the fact that what he did is keeping him free," Blair stated.

"I'm still stunned by all of this," Eleanor said and leaned back slightly from the counter.

"Mom, you have to promise not to say anything to anyone," Blair pleaded with her. "If anyone were to find out, Bart would go to prison."

"I promise I won't say anything," Eleanor said firmly as Blair sighed in relief. "But Bart created this mess all on his own. His son should not have to pay the price for his mistakes. He should take responsibility."

"Today, the disciplinary committee is making their final decision on the whole ordeal," Blair said and looked down. "I don't think they'll let him return."

Staring at her daughter for a moment, Eleanor rose to her feet.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast or you'll be late for school," she stated. "I'll drop you off myself. There's something I need to do this morning."

Nodding, Blair finished her croissant and coffee before heading upstairs to get ready. After another ten minutes, they both got into Eleanor's Range Rover and drove towards her school.

"Thanks for listening," Blair said, facing her mother. "I can't imagine if we had that kind of destructive relationship as Chuck and his father."

"That will never happen to us," Eleanor said firmly as Blair smiled. "Have a good day in school."

"Bye," she said and got out, heading up the stairs and through the main doors.

Sighing, Eleanor pulled back onto the street and began driving towards her intended destination. After twenty minutes of maneuvering through traffic, she finally pulled to a stop in front of a luxurious high-rise condominium. Getting out and walking into the lobby, she gave her name to the receptionist who showed her to the elevators. Getting off on the penthouse floor, she knocked on one of the two doors in the hallway.

"Eleanor," Bart greeted her with a smile as she smiled back and walked inside his home. "It's a nice surprise seeing you here."

"It's good to see you too," Eleanor stated.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"No thank you, I won't be staying long," she replied.

Realizing her serious tone, Bart nodded.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

Staring at him for a long moment, Eleanor let out a soft sigh.

"Why didn't you come to me?" she suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?" he said with a small frown.

"If you were in such debt, why didn't you come to me for help? We're old friends, Bart," Eleanor stated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he began.

"I know about everything, Bart," Eleanor cut him off. "I know about your gambling addiction and how it led you into personal and professional bankruptcy. I know how you took money from your business partners and were arrested when the authorities found out."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Bart said and turned away from her.

"I could understand if you were embarrassed to ask for help, but embezzlement?" she asked as he faced her.

"I don't know who told you any of these lies, but that's what they are," he exclaimed.

"Stop it!" she snapped at him, her tone taking him by surprise. "Just stop it!"

They stared at one another in silence before Eleanor continued.

"Your son lied for you. He told the world that it was him who had slept with Henry's wife when it was you," she stated firmly. "In a couple hours, the disciplinary committee is going to expel him for something he didn't do. Do you even understand that?"

Bart simply stared at her. "I never asked him to do what he did."

"No, but you ignored him his entire life and nothing he ever did was good enough for you. I was there, Bart. I saw how you treated him like he was a failure when all he was, was a little boy who needed his father's love more than anything else in the world. And you couldn't give him that. When your wife died, I can't imagine the pain you must have gone through. But can _you_ imagine the pain your son went through? You lost your wife but you were an adult. He was a little boy and he lost his _mother_."

Bart looked away at her words, but she simply pushed on.

"All he ever wanted was your love and acceptance and you never gave him that. He even got himself expelled from school to keep you out of jail and you scolded him when what you should be doing is helping him," she stated.

"I got him an attorney," he defended.

"Instead of getting him an attorney, you should be there with him right now," Eleanor exclaimed. "You should be taking responsibility, Bart. You created this mess all by yourself…_you_, not Chuck. Instead of being an adult and taking responsibility for your actions, you're sitting back and letting your son take the fall."

He sensed the disgust in her words and bit back his response.

"Be a man and tell the truth," she stated firmly before softening her voice. "Your son deserves so much in this world that was unfairly taken away from him at a young age. He lost his mother when he was little and needed you to be there for him, but you never were. I remember all the times when you'd forget his birthday or constantly brought him down over everything in his life. You're forgetting that he, Nate, Serena and Blair have been best friends since childhood and they usually hung around my home."

Unable to say anything, Bart simply stood there and listened to her.

"And do you honestly wonder where he got his personality traits from? The alcoholism and partying? The countless women he's always around?" she said, motioning Bart himself. "Because _that's_ what you taught him, Bart."

Realizing the truth behind her words, he looked down at the ground in shame.

"Go and take responsibility for your actions," Eleanor stated. "Your son deserves better than this."

With that, she turned and walked towards the door, but spun around to face him one last time.

"And your wife would never forgive you for this," she finished before walking out and closing the door behind her quietly.

Bart stood frozen in his spot, unsure of what to say. Looking up with a sad expression, his eyes fell upon a small photo above his fireplace mantel. Walking towards it, he held the photo in his hands and stared at it for a long time. Finally letting out a sigh, he placed the frame back down, grabbed his coat and left his apartment. Sitting in silence above the mantel, the photo was one of a six year old Chuck smiling happily at the camera.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter XVIII

While the other students all went about their day, a nervous Chuck stood waiting outside the empty theatre where the disciplinary committee was having their final session. Pacing back and forth, he was surprised when the door opened and he was allowed to enter. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside the auditorium and stood next to his attorney, coming face to face with the Dean and three other members of the faculty.

"Before we give our verdict, we were wondering if there was anything that you wanted to say," Mrs. Hunt, the Biology teacher, asked sternly.

Next to her sat Mr. Fraser, their Algebra teacher, Mrs. Wyman, their Art History teacher, and the Dean. Sighing aloud, he glanced from one face to another.

"I'm very sorry for what I did," he began. "But my mistake shouldn't be held against my educational future. What I did was wrong, but isn't this too extreme?"

"Sleeping with an older woman…my _wife_, no less, deserves punishment," the Dean barked at him.

Unable to say anything else in defense, Chuck lowered his head as the faculty members glanced at one another. Outside the doors, Blair and Serena made their way down the hall and waited impatiently.

"They're going to expel him," Blair said, shaking her head. "I cannot believe his father!"

"I know," Serena agreed. "How could he let his son take the fall like this?"

Before they were able to say anything else, Bart appeared in their view as he walked past them and inside the auditorium.

"Excuse me, but this is a closed hearing," Mr. Fraser began as they all turned to see who the intruder was.

"Dad?" Chuck asked with a frown, his single word silencing the faculty. "What are you doing here?"

"What I should have done a long time ago," he began. "Defend you."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bass, but we've already come to a ruling against your son," the Dean said, cutting their conversation short. "He is hereby expelled from this school."

Chuck eyes grew dark as the words began registering in his mind, but Bart stepped closer to the committee and cleared his throat.

"May I speak on my son's behalf?" he asked.

"There's no point. He's already expelled," the Dean began.

"Please?" Bart repeated as the three other members eventually gave in. "My son is being charged today for committing an adulterous act with your wife, Henry. But the truth is that he is not to blame."

"He admitted what he did the night of the debutant ball," the Dean snapped. "I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish by…"

"It's wasn't him!" Bart exclaimed, cutting him off.

"Dad," Chuck said in a whisper as they faced one another. "Don't."

"I've failed you all your life, kid. I'll be damned if I let you pay for any more of my mistakes," he replied sadly before facing the committee again. "I slept with your wife in Monaco, Henry. Chuck was only covering for me."

"Why should I believe you?" the Dean asked with a frown.

"Because as bad as his reputation is, my son is the best person I have ever known," Bart explained as Chuck stared at his father sadly. "His mother was taken from him at a young age and even though I should have been there for him, I never was. Our roles were reversed and he became the adult while I was the kid. My destructive behavior got to a point that I became addicted to gambling and I nearly railroaded our fortune into the ground. They arrested me for embezzlement a few years back, but I managed to get the sentence dropped to ten years probation."

"Embezzlement?" Mr. Fraser asked in surprise.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" the Dean interrupted after a moment's silence.

"Dad…please," Chuck pleaded once more, but Bart ignored him.

"Ten years probation meant I was unable to leave the state or the country. But none of my previous business partners were willing to resume our dealings except for one who lived in Monaco," he continued. "He started backing out a few weeks ago and I had to fly down there to convince him to stay with me. Instead of even doing that, I went straight to the casino while my son stayed with him and finally convinced him to stay put. When I heard the news, I got drunk to celebrate and that's when I slept with your wife. I didn't even know who she was until the next day."

The Dean leaned back in his seat with a permanent frown, taking all of the information in.

"That's why Chuck lied for me that night," Bart explained. "Because once the authorities hear about this, they will arrest me for not adhering to the conditions of my probation. Despite how I treated him all these years and even when my wife was still alive and despite all the many reasons he has to hate me, my son still took the blame. That's the type of person he is. Yes, he may drink and spend time with women…but those traits he got from me. That's what I taught him. But he's a good person and he _never_ slept with your wife, Henry. I did."

"Well, this certainly is surprising," Mrs. Hunt exclaimed before facing a grieving Chuck. "What you did young man, although highly foolish, is respectable."

"So what now?" Chuck managed to ask.

Glancing at one another for a moment, they turned back to him.

"Will you all please wait outside while we talk things through?" Mrs. Hunt said and they nodded before leaving the auditorium.

"What happened?" Blair immediately asked when they walked out.

"My dad…he admitted everything," Chuck began, his face still looking dazed. "They're going over what he said right now."

Blair and Serena both glanced at Bart in surprise before Chuck turned towards his father.

"I can't believe you said that," he stated.

"I can't believe it took me this long," Bart replied sadly.

"What now? What's going to happen to you?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," Bart replied, shrugging his shoulders. "But it's about time I faced the consequences of my actions."

With that, he leaned forward and pulled his son into a tight embrace, his move shocking everyone, especially Chuck. Leaning back, he moved towards their attorney while Chuck watched him in silence. He suddenly felt something in his hand and looked down to see Blair holding it. Looking up into her eyes, he smiled at her gratefully as she placed her chin on his shoulder in comfort. They exchanged no words, but her small move brought him more comfort than anything else could. Another fifteen grueling minutes passed before the doors opened and the members of the committee walked out, followed by the Dean.

"We've made a decision," Mrs. Wyman began.

"This offence will be stricken from your record and you are allowed back in school starting right now," Mr. Fraser replied.

The look of relief in his eyes was not lost on the committee members, but reality came crashing back down on him and he turned towards his father.

"What about him?" he asked as the Dean approached them.

"You're a son of a bitch, Bass," he began but sighed. "I had half a mind to punch you in the face and another half to leave things be. But you confessed to a crime in there."

With that, he motioned something in the distance and they all turned around to see two police officers approaching them.

"You called the cops?" Chuck asked, releasing Blair's hand and moving forward. "Why did you do that?"

"Because as your father already stated, he committed a crime and he needs to pay the price for it," the Dean replied. "Please know that I am not getting some sort of odd satisfaction from all of this. He's getting what he deserves, nothing less and nothing more."

"Bart Bass?" one of the officers began as he faced him. "Sir, you are under arrest. Please place your hands behind your back."

"Isn't there something you can do?" Chuck asked his attorney who gave him a stricken expression.

"He admitted to everything," he replied. "He knew he was guilty and now they do too."

"Chuck," Bart began as his son faced him. "Listen to me."

"They can't do this," he said, his voice sounding sad and afraid.

"Yes they can and they will," Bart replied and flinched slightly when the officer finished placing the handcuffs on his wrists. "I'll be fine, okay? I don't want you to worry about me."

"All my life, I've hated you," Chuck suddenly expressed, his words taking his father by surprise. "I've hated you and wished you had died instead of mom, but you're still my father. I still care about you all the same."

"I know you do," Bart said with a sad smile and glanced at Blair. "Let that young girl be there for you, Chuck. Let her in and don't shut her out."

"Sir, we have to go," the other officer stated as Bart nodded.

"I'm sorry I was never a good enough father to you," he stated. "I'm sorry for so much I didn't do. I hope that one day you can forgive me."

With that, he slightly nodded and walked off with the officers as Chuck watched them go, the attorney following closely. Gazing at him sadly, Blair walked to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as he faced her.

"This doesn't make me hate him any less," he began. "But he's…I…"

"I know," Blair said and pulled him into an embrace. "I know."

Serena watched them in silence as Chuck leaned back and rubbed his face in exhaustion. 

"What do you want to do?" Blair asked as he let out his breath.

"I guess I should go to the police station," he said as Blair nodded. 

"I'll come over to your place after school, okay?" she said and kissed him, not caring that five other people were watching them.

He smiled softly at her as she turned and walked away, followed by Serena who touched his shoulder and left. 

"Good luck, young man," Mrs. Hunt exclaimed as she and the other teachers also walked away.

Standing in silence, Chuck slowly turned towards the Dean with a frown.

"How?" he suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?" Henry said in reply. "How what?"

"How did you know?" he questioned. "That your wife had slept with someone in Monaco? How did you know? Did your wife admit it?"

The Dean grew quiet for a long moment and looked away, not wanting to answer the question. His refusal, however, made Chuck more interested in the response.

"Please," he began. "How did you know?"

"Why are you asking?" the Dean said in reply.

"It's been bothering me ever since the night of the debutant ball. No one knew we had left the country," he said. "How did you know?"

Turning to face the young man in front of him, the Dean let out a loud sigh.

"I'd get new friends if I were you," he began.

Chuck frowned at his words and took a step back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that your friend Nathaniel Archibald was the one who told me," he exclaimed before turning and walking off.

Chuck stood there frozen and speechless, as the shock of the news quickly registered to him.

_Nate told the Dean about Chuck's dad? But how did he know and could he really be that cruel? This is the juiciest gossip I've heard in ages. XOXO Gossip Girl_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter XVIV

A long time had passed since the Dean had walked away from him, leaving Chuck with a piece of information that was likely to shatter him in the days to come. Unsure of how long he had been standing there, Chuck slowly lifted his face as his eyes betrayed the hurt he was feeling inside. Finally finding his footing, he began heading down the hallway and outside to where many of the students had gathered around the front steps, eating their lunches with all the ease in the world. Glancing around himself, his eyes eventually landed on Blair and Serena, who were making their way across the school with Nate in tow. Clenching his fists at his sides, his eyes grew dark as he stormed down the stairs and head straight towards them.

"Hey," Blair said with a smile, noticing his approach. "I thought you were going to the police station?"

As they stood waiting for a response, all three noticed the fury in his eyes. Ignoring her words, he moved past her and immediately punched Nate in his face, sending the other surprised boy onto the ground.

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed, stepping between them as all of the other students stopped in their tracks and watched the situation unfold.

"How could you do that?" Chuck snapped, pulling out of Blair's grasp and moving towards a fallen Nate.

Picking him up, he pushed him angrily towards a car parked on the side of the street a few meters ahead of them.

"Chuck!" Blair shouted as she and Serena ran after them.

"What the hell is your problem?" Nate managed to get in, but his words only angered Chuck even more.

"You son of a bitch! How could you do that to me?!" he snapped, pushing him into the side of the car once more.

"What the hell is going on?" Blair asked, firmly pulling Chuck away before he could attack Nate again.

The two boys stared at one another in silence, both breathing heavily as realization quickly dawned upon Nate. Understanding the reason behind his friend's anger, he quietly dropped his head as Chuck stared at him with fresh tears in his eyes.

"You were my best friend," he began, his voice slowly breaking down and sounding more hurt than angry. "How could you do that?"

"Do what?" Serena asked with a frown.

But her words went unregistered in his mind and Chuck simply ran a hand through his hair before facing Nate again.

"He's my father. I don't care how bad you think I betrayed you. This crosses the line way worse than anything I ever did," he expressed.

"Chuck," Blair began quietly as he finally turned to face her. "What happened?"

Staring at Nate again for another moment, he finally let out a long sigh. "He was the one who told the Dean about my dad being in Monaco and sleeping with his wife."

A look of shock quickly spread over both girls' faces as they turned towards Nate who was rubbing his red, sore cheek.

"Did you know about Bart's probation?" Serena asked as Nate faced her.

When he didn't answer, Chuck spoke up for him.

"He's the only person I ever told," he admitted, causing Nate to look away in shame once more. "Before I told the two of you, only _he_ knew."

"So you knew what would happen if people found out and you used it against him to hurt Chuck?" Blair asked quietly.

"I was angry," Nate finally said, staring only at his best friend. "You and Blair were getting together behind my back and I blew a fuse. I couldn't stand the thought of my best friend, the one person I trusted most in this world, getting together with my girlfriend."

"But I _wasn't_ your girlfriend, Nate," Blair cut in. "We broke up because I realized what a terrible boyfriend you were. We broke up because I finally came to grips with our relationship and realized once and for all that you weren't the fairytale prince I had imagined you to be."

"But it hurt just the same," Nate said and faced Chuck again. "The thought of you guys being together…it killed me, man."

Chuck shook his head and rubbed his face before facing him once more.

"How the hell did you even know about us going to Monaco in the first place? I never told you and we were on the outs to begin with at the time anyway," he asked.

"One of my father's friends heard from his girlfriend that you and Bart had gone to Monaco," Nate said quietly. "She was the flight attendant on the plane. I overheard the conversation at home."

"So you decided to use the one thing you knew would destroy my family forever against me?" Chuck spat in reply. "You told the Dean about my dad in Monaco knowing full well that he'd get sent to prison once the authorities found out?

"I didn't know what I was thinking!" Nate began, his tone sounding desperate as he leaned away from the car. "I was hurt and angry. But then Blair told me at the debutante ball that she liked you and wanted to be with you and I saw the way you guys were dancing. You were close in a way that Blair and I never were and I decided to stop everything. I was about to tell the Dean that I had lied about it all, but he had already confronted your father. And then you said it was you and things just got out of hand."

Chuck stared at him for a long moment in silence as Nate took a couple steps towards him.

"All week, I've been living with this huge pang of guilt knowing that it's all my fault. Blair hating you when you were lying to protect your father was my fault. None of that would have happened if I hadn't done what I did and I am so sorry," he began, his eyes revealing the grief he was feeling. "And now your dad's been arrested. I'm just so sorry. I wanted to stop things that night at the ball because I realized how you guys felt for one another and how empty and different my life was without you in it. You're my best friend, Chuck, and always have been. You've been there for me through it all and the first mistake you made, I turned around and did something ten times worse and I'm sorry."

Approaching him tentatively, Nate was the image of pity as he stood there with nothing but a sad and apologetic expression on his face.

"I can't believe you did what you did," Chuck finally said, his voice sounding calmer than before. "My falling in love with Blair is so different from you being responsible for my father going to jail."

Blair's head immediately shot up at his words and she stared at him with wide eyes, but Chuck was so wrapped up in what was happening that he didn't even realize what he had just said.

"I may have hurt you by being with her…I know I did, I'm not going to deny that," he continued. "But whatever could have been fixed between you and me and whatever could have been salvaged from our friendship…_you_ broke it."

"Chuck…," Nate began, but he quickly cut him off.

"You're the only person who knew what a terrible relationship my father and I had. You're the only one who knew what my mother's death did to both of us and you used it all against me for revenge," he stated and shook his head. "What happened to us, man? How the hell did we get here? We used to be inseparable and now we can't even stand to look at each other anymore."

"I…," Nate began, but couldn't find the right words to say.

"I just hope that it was worth it because as far as I'm concerned anymore, you're dead to me," he expressed with certain finality in his words that crushed Nate even further.

Without giving him a chance to say a single word, he turned and walked away as the three of them watched him go. As Nate turned towards the two important girls in his life for an ounce of sympathy, Blair slapped him hard across his cheek.

"I don't even know you anymore," she said with a hurt look in her eyes before rushing up the stairs and into school.

"Are you next?" Nate asked while rubbing his cheek and turning to Serena who simply shook her head.

"I'm not going to slap you. You've gotten enough of that from Chuck and Blair," she began. "I just can't believe you're the same boy I grew up with. The boy I knew had a big heart and was kind and compassionate. And although he strayed from his path every now and then, he would try his best to stay true to who he was. The person you've become…I don't recognize him anymore. The one who cheats and lies and destroys people without a care for the consequences is not the same boy I loved once upon a time. The person staring back at me right now is nothing but a shell of your former self."

Nate stared at her in silence, taking her words to his heart as she continued.

"You need to look deep down within yourself and find that boy again," Serena exclaimed. "Find the boy that Blair fell in love with; the boy that Chuck always turned to when things got rough and the boy I swore long ago I'd stop caring for so deeply. Find him, Nate, because all I see right now is a spiteful jerk who wrecked his relationship with the only people who ever gave a damn about him."

With that, she turned and walked away from him with a disappointed sigh as Nate stood alone in his thoughts. As the other students began talking mildly amongst themselves about the newest gossip they had just overheard, Nate leaned his back on the side of the car once more and leaned his face up towards the sky before closing his eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter XX

Chuck wasn't sure how long he had been walking down the same street. He had turned around a few times, but couldn't really decide on what to do. His mind was all over the place and he was feeling confused, angry and above all tired. Finally finding the courage, he went to the police station holding his father but was told by his attorney that they were keeping Bart overnight and that it would be best to come back in the morning since the police were not allowing him any visitors at the time. Leaving dejectedly and feeling even worse than before, Chuck stepped out onto the sidewalk just as the rain began pouring down on him. Closing his eyes and leaning his face up towards the sky, he stood there and took a deep breath, not caring that he was getting soaked. After what seemed like forever, he leaned his face down, opened his eyes and began walking towards his hotel. It was quite a distance to walk, but Chuck hardly noticed as scattered thoughts plagued his mind. The sun had already set when he stepped into his hotel lobby after eight o'clock, dripping wet from the rain.

"Mr. Bass?" the night Manager asked, walking towards him as he leaned his face up in silence. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better," he replied before heading towards the elevator.

Getting inside, he pressed the button to his floor and waited quietly until the agonizing rise finally came to a stop. Moving towards his suite, he tossed his key card into the slot before unlocking the door and walking in. The suite was dark and still as he entered and closed the door. Tossing his keys and wallet onto his kitchen counter, he sighed and moved around the dark suite towards his bedroom. Switching his light on, he was surprised to see Blair sleeping soundly in his bed with the sheets covering half of her body. A mixture of joy and sorrow showed on his face as he stared at her peaceful form. Removing his drenched coat and placing it quietly on his chair, he moved towards her and sat down on her side, gazing down at her in silence. Leaning his face down, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and she immediately opened her eyes from his touch.

"Hey," she said, blinking repeatedly to push the sleep away from her eyes. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"

"I'm as good as I can be," he said with a soft smile and her face saddened by his words before she noticed that he was drenched.

"Why are you so wet?" she asked as a drop of water left the tip of his hair and fell onto her arm.

"I was walking around," he began and sighed. "I guess I didn't realize how hard it was raining."

"Did you see your father?" she asked.

"I went, but my lawyer said they were holding him overnight to try and sort things out and wouldn't allow any visitors until the morning," he stated and sighed once more, looking away from her.

Realizing how troubled he was, she came to sit up but he immediately turned to her and held her down. Pinning her wrists to the bed softly, he leaned his forehead onto hers and closed his eyes.

"Don't move for a second," he whispered, the sadness in his voice breaking her heart.

They stayed that way for a few minutes as he breathed in her perfume and took comfort from the calm silence between them. He eventually released her wrists and she moved her hands to the sides of his face and into her hair.

"Chuck," she whispered as he opened his eyes and looked into hers.

The brokenness she saw stung her heart and made her want to take all of his pain away. Sitting up, she caressed his cheeks softly as they gazed at one another in silence. He then suddenly pulled away from her and rose to his feet, moving away from the bed.

"I can't believe he did that," he said, his back to her as she got to her feet.

"Chuck…," she began quietly, but he ignored her.

"Friends for thirteen years and he does this," he continued before facing her. "I know I hurt him but what he did…it crossed the line, right? I mean, I have every right to hate him, right?"

"What he did was wrong," Blair assured him. "He did cross the line by going not only after you, but your family. I'm sorry."

"I mean, I hate my father," he stated, his voice cracking as she reached out for him, but he pulled away from her. "I hate and love the bastard all the same, but he's still my father. What Nate did…."

"I'm sorry," she said again, her eyes beginning to glisten over as she reached out to him once more.

When he came to pull away, she strengthened her hold on him and turned his face towards hers.

"I'm sorry," she repeated as his eyes focused on hers.

Before he could say anything else, she pressed her lips onto his and kissed him softly. Her arms crept around his neck and she slightly stepped on her toes to be closer to him, not caring that she was getting wet by being this close. After a moment's hesitation, his arms moved around her body and held onto her tightly as he deepened the kiss and sighed in her mouth. Moving her hands to his chest, she began unbuttoning his shirt and pulled the wet cloth off of his body, never breaking their kiss. Once she pulled her own shirt off, he held onto the sides of her face and kissed her with more passion than before. Lifting her off of her feet, he carried her towards the bed and laid her down as they began to make love within the sheets.

Once they had finished, they laid in bed with Blair's back leaning against him as he held onto her body tightly from behind and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She had placed her hand on his arm and smiled inwardly at how tightly he held her. It was then that she remembered something from earlier, something she needed to ask him about. Twisting in his arms, she turned to face him just as he opened his eyes, his arm still around her body.

"Chuck," she began nervously.

"What?" he asked quietly, a small frown covering his face.

"When we were young, would you have ever guessed that you and I would be together?" she asked him.

He paused for a moment before answering. "Not like this."

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I mean, I've always cared about you, I guess. But this…being close like this…," he said and sighed softly. "I guess I always thought you'd end up with _him_."

Nodding sadly at his words and at her own stupidity over the years, she looked at his chest and placed her hand over his heart.

"Why'd you ask?" he said as her eyes remained on his chest.

"Because of what you said earlier," she said quietly.

Confused by her words, he tilted her face up so her eyes met his.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, completely oblivious to what she was referring to.

"Don't you remember?" she said. "You were confronting Nate earlier today about what he did…and you said something."

"Blair, if I said something wrong, don't hold it against me," he began. "I was all over the place earlier."

With that, she sat up and tucked the sheet around her chest to cover her as he sat up with her.

"You don't remember?" she asked him and he gave her another confused look. "Never mind then."

She pulled him into a long kiss, holding the sides of his face before falling back down onto the bed with him on top of her. When they moved away, he leaned back slightly to look at her and realization dawned upon him.

"What?" she asked him quietly.

He continued to gaze at her for a long and his eyes glanced over the red necklace he had gotten her in Rome as everything flashed before his eyes. Their childhood and the day they had first met when they were five; when they were ten and she had scraped her knee in the park and he had taken care of her; when they were twelve and she had not received anything for Valentine's Day and he had given her a small flower and made her smile; when his father had forgotten his birthday and she had taken him by the water and spent the entire day with him to cheer him up; when they had flown to Rome for a few days and he had bought her the necklace, the same one she wore around her neck right now; when he had taken her to his mother's grave and cried and how she had comforted him; when she and Nate had broken up and he had taken her home after she was drunk and she had kissed him for the first time; when she had been drugged at the club and he had taken care of her and sat by her bed all night to make sure she was okay; when everything with his father had erupted and they had made love for the first time and now when she gazed up at him from his bed, glowing and looking more beautiful than ever before.

"Chuck?" she asked, getting worried as to why he had been silent for so long.

Looking into her eyes, he smiled wryly. "I do."

She was confused by his words and frowned slightly. "What?"

"I love you," he finally said and the three words made Blair's eyes bulge wide open in surprise.

"What did you just say?" she asked quietly.

"I said I love you," he repeated and smiled softly at her. "Everyone sees me as a playboy or a screw-up. But you've always looked at me with different eyes. You see something else when you look at me."

"I…," she began, flummoxed by his words and unsure of what to say.

"Ever since we first met, I knew there was something special about you. There was this certain light in your eyes like a kid on Christmas morning and a part of me hated Nate for taking that away from you little by little. But it's coming back, that light," he expressed. "What makes you even more beautiful is that you're insecure and have faults of your own, even though you try your hardest to not to show them. Right now, with your hair a mess and no fancy makeup on your face or any walls surrounding you…I've never seen you look more beautiful."

She blushed at his words and slightly looked away, but he turned her face back to his.

"I'm not the type of guy that says stuff like this all the time and I probably won't say it again so easily," he said with a slight chuckle as she laughed as well. "But I want you to know that I love you…for you."

Blair was taken away by everything he had just told her. With his life in such a big mess at the moment, she was bewildered that he had opened up long enough to tell her everything that he just did. Pulling the sides of his face down to hers, she kissed him happily. Leaning back, she gazed into his eyes for a moment before her smile softened.

"I love you too," she said suddenly.

"You don't have to say…," he began, but she shook her head and cut him off.

"I'm not saying it just because you did," she said firmly. "I'm saying it because that's what I feel. All the years Nate and I spent together, never once did he make me feel the way you do. Never once did he make me feel so…alive."

He smiled at her words as she brought her hands to his chest.

"You're not perfect, Chuck…and that's makes you real and that's what makes me love you even more," she said, not letting her anxiety stop her from telling him how she felt. "I love you."

With that, he leaned his face down and kissed her again, this time more softly than before. Pressing their bodies into the mattress, the kiss grew deeper as she buried her fingers in his hair, both oblivious to the heavy rain that continued to pour from the sky outside.


	21. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that I'm in the middle of my final exams right now and that's why I haven't been able to update yet. But I'm done with three of my exams with two more to go so hopefully the next chapter will be up by the end of next week. Thanks so much for all of the reviews and for your patience :)


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter XII

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update, but I just got back from a week-long and much-needed vacation :) I really didn't know what to do with Bart's character (the outcome of what happened in the last couple chapters), but I also didn't want him to go to jail. I hope what I wrote makes sense and that you guys enjoy it. The story probably won't go on longer than this chapter…maybe another couple chapters if you guys want me to continue :) Let me know but for now, this is the last chapter.

Chapter XXII

Eight days had gone by since Chuck and Nate had, had their showdown in front of the school. Bart had spent every waking minute with his lawyer, trying to figure a way out of the mess he had created for himself while Chuck had remained inside his suite and had shunned away the outside world. As hard as Blair had tried to get him to leave his suite and get back to his life, he had stubbornly refused to listen to her. After telling her he loved her, Chuck had immediately pulled away from her and kept to himself, drowning himself and his misery in alcohol and darkness.

On her way to school that morning, Blair stopped at his suite and knocked on his door. Hearing no answer, she opened the door with her key and walked inside.

"Chuck?" she called out, but still received no answer.

Walking towards his bedroom, she noticed how everything had been tossed around the room with pieces of broken glass on the ground in the corner by his dresser. Looking around herself with a slight gasp, she finally saw him lying in bed with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling above him. He seemed unshaven and had not showered since she had last seen him three days ago.

"Chuck?" she called his name again but he remained quiet, oblivious to her presence.

Gazing at him sadly, she moved to the side of the bed and sat down, placing her hands on his chest to get his attention. He slowly moved his head so his eyes were on her and it took him a moment to realize she was really there.

"Hey," he said as she smiled at him.

"Hey back," she replied. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"No," he replied absently.

"Chuck, you have to get out of this place," she began as he looked away from her again. "Honey, you can't keep doing this to yourself. You've locked yourself up in here for the past eight days. Your father's been locked up with his lawyer for the past week. Doing this isn't going to bring him out any sooner."

Sighing in frustration, he pulled the covers off of his body and rose to his feet, facing her with his top bare.

"Don't you think I know that?" he asked, agitated by her. "I know that, Blair. I just need some time to get my head right. I'm sorry I'm not getting over everything according to your schedule, but I just need some more time. It just feels like everything in my life is going down the drain."

"But this isn't helping," she exclaimed. "Let the people who care about you help you through this."

"Like who?" he asked angrily. "My father? He's in jail in case you didn't notice. Nate? Last time I checked, he was dead to me. My mom? Nope, she's _really_ dead."

"I meant me," Blair said sadly as he gazed at her. "I'm still here and I know things are rough right now but _I'm_ still here. We said I love you, remember?"

His shoulders dropped slightly and his eyes saddened by her words, but he said nothing. She gazed at him for another moment before rising to her feet and sighing sadly, turning her face away from him so he wouldn't see the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"I have to go to school," she stated. "You remember school, right? That building that you go to, to get the education you need to graduate? Maybe you should think about swinging by too."

"Blair…," he began, but she grabbed her purse and walked out of his bedroom, clearly hurt by the way he had been treating her.

He watched her leave until the door to his suite was shut and he sighed in frustration. Falling back down on his bed, he ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. Not five minutes had passed before he heard another knocking on his door.

"Blair?" he called out, rushing to his door and swinging it open.

But the person staring back at him was not his girlfriend.

"Father," he exclaimed after the initial shock had worn off. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in jail."

"The court allowed me to come and see you," he began, walking inside the suite. "Chuck, they reached a verdict."

"What do you mean?" Chuck began worriedly. "You're telling me that this isn't going to trial?"

"Despite everything, I still have a few friends in high places," Bart said with a slight chuckle. "We came to a quiet understanding with the government."

Taking a deep breath, Chuck took a single step back as his frame visibly tensed.

"What did they say?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not going to jail," Bart replied as a look of relief washed over Chuck's face. "The truth is that they can't really prove anything. It was all hearsay and since then the Dean's wife made a statement that she had lied to her husband because she wanted his attention or something to that effect."

"Why would she do that?" Chuck asked. "Did you leave that good of an impression on her?"

Bart simply chuckled at his son's words and shrugged.

"The school and the Dean have come to an understanding and he is to resign. They don't put up with scandals like this but firing him wouldn't appear good to the outside eye either so he's quietly resigning and moving away with his wife," Bart continued.

"So what's going to happen to you?" Chuck asked.

"I don't have to go to jail and that's the best news, son," he said with a soft smile. "But this is my final warning. I am indefinitely on probation until the government claims otherwise and if I do skip the border again, I _will_ go to jail."

"So that's it then? You're free?" Chuck asked, his eyes widening like a child's on Christmas morning.

"Not entirely," Bart cut in.

"What do you mean? I thought you just said you weren't going to jail," Chuck stated with a frown.

"I meant I'm not going to a prison like Rikers," Bart replied and sighed. "Charlie, they're sending me to a place up town. It's like a country club, really, but I have to sit down with a therapist twice a week and do a lot of community service and join an

out-reach program. Our lawyer here is really good. He got them to believe that I wouldn't have done everything I had if it weren't for me being devastated by the death of your mother. The truth really isn't so far-fetched though."

Chuck stared at his father in silence as Bart cleared his throat and took a step towards his son.

"Losing your mother…it hurt a lot," he began. "Every time I'd look at you, I'd see her and it killed me so I pulled away and put distance between us. Eventually the distance turned to bitterness, anger and resentment and that's where we are today. I don't hate you, Charlie. The truth is that I love you more than anything else in the world. I'm just sorry that it took me all these years and for me almost losing you to finally realize it."

Chuck looked away from his father as his eyes began to form tears. Bart placed his hands on his son's shoulders and forced him to look back.

"I _love _you," he said more firmly as Chuck slowly nodded, willing his tears not to fall. "I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through. I know you'll probably never forgive me, but this place they're sending me is going to be good for both of us, I think. Plus, it keeps me out of jail and you can visit whenever you want. You know, if you want to."

With that, Bart released his shoulders and leaned back but Chuck surprised them both and pulled his father in for a tight embrace. Bart stood frozen at first, but his face soon melted into a sad smile and he hugged back.

"Of course I'll visit," Chuck said, leaning away. "You're not going to jail, dad. That _is_ the best news."

"You hardly ever call me that," Bart suddenly stated as Chuck frowned.

"What?" he asked in return.

"Dad," he said with a light laugh. "It's usually Sir or father…but never dad. I like the way it sounds."

They shared a smile before their lawyer interrupted their moment.

"Bart, we have to get going," he said as the elder Bass nodded.

"I'll give you a call as soon as we arrive," he said and walked to the door as Chuck nodded. "Thank you for never giving up on me."

"You're my dad. I can't even if I want to," Chuck replied as Bart smiled at his choice of words and nodded.

"I'll see you," he said and walked out into the hallway as Chuck watched them go.

Once they had disappeared inside the elevator, Chuck closed his door and slowly walked back into his bedroom. Stopping at his bathroom, he leaned his hands on the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror. So much had happened in his life lately and it had already begun taking its toll on his worn-out eyes. Leaning back, he grabbed his towel and moved towards his shower.

Blair had gone to her first two classes with her head everywhere but the present. Once the bell rang, she gathered her things and left the classroom with Serena. Placing her things in her locker, the two girls walked outside the main doors to get some fresh air during their spare period.

"Did you see Chuck?" Serena asked as they leaned their backs on a railing.

"This morning," Blair replied, wrapping her arms around her small frame.

"How was he?" Serena asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, Blair looked away but her friend was able to see the hurt in her eyes.

"Did you guys have a fight?" Serena said as Blair nodded.

"He's just in such a dark place right now," she replied with a sigh. "And he won't let me help him. I mean, he told me he loved me and I told him I loved him. Ever since then, he's been distant and he keeps pulling away."

"You just need to give him some time," Serena said, touching her friend's shoulder in comfort. "He _does_ love you, Blair. Anyone can see that."

Smiling at her friends words, she looked to the street just as a limousine pulled to a stop in front of the building. Frowning slightly, she was surprised when she saw Chuck step out of the backseat and head towards them.

"Speak of the devil," Serena said with a smile as they walked midway down the stairs and waited for him to reach them.

As he drew closer, Blair realized that he had shaven and looked completely different from the man she had seen that morning.

"What are you doing?" she asked when he was close enough to hear her.

Once he had made his way up the stairs, he pulled her into a tight embrace and a passionate kiss. Blair was surprised at first, but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Serena watched them with a light laugh before taking a few steps back to allow them some privacy. Leaning back to get some air, they touched their foreheads with one another and sighed contently.

"Chuck…," she began breathlessly as they gazed up at one another.

"I'm sorry," he said, cutting her off. "I _do_ love you, Blair, and I'm sorry for this past week."

"It's okay," she said, easily forgiving him. "Is everything okay, though?"

"My father's not going to jail," he replied happily as her eyes widened in surprise. "He got off with a final warning because they couldn't really prove anything anyway. He's still on probation and he's getting sent upstate to this country-club style place where he has to meet a therapist twice a week and do some community service, but otherwise he's free."

"Oh my God," Blair exclaimed, embracing him once more. "Chuck, that's amazing."

"I know," he replied, leaning back. "You know, a part of me thought that he would skip the country to avoid the risk of going to jail, but he didn't. He stepped up and took responsibility for what he did."

"He did it for you," she said as he smiled at her.

"I know," he finally admitted as Blair's smile widened.

"He loves you, Chuck," she said and kissed him again before holding the sides of his face. "So do I."

He gazed at her with a spark in his eyes and was about to pull her to him once more but they were interrupted by someone who cleared his throat from the bottom of the steps. Looking down, they both noticed Nate standing there with his head bent slightly down. Sighing heavily, Chuck left her side and walked to the bottom of the stairs as the surrounding students watched them.

"I heard about your father," he said as Chuck nodded. "I'm really happy that things worked out for you guys."

Chuck simply stared at him as Nate sighed and stared sadly at his friend.

"Are you ever going to forgive me?" he asked quietly.

"No," Chuck replied without hesitation as Nate looked away in dismay.

Sighing, Chuck ran a hand over his face.

"I don't know…maybe," he exclaimed. "One day…maybe."

Nodding, Nate smiled wryly as Chuck glanced behind them at the awaiting cab.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked as Nate glanced at the cab and then back at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm heading to London to stay with my Aunt and Uncle for a while," he replied.

The news took Chuck by surprise and hurt reappeared on his face.

"You don't have to go to the other side of the world," he began.

"Actually, I do," Nate replied and shrugged. "Someone pointed out to me that I'm hardly a shell of the person I used to be. I've changed and I've become bitter and angry and that's not who I am. We've been best friends all our lives and look at what I almost did to you…what I _did_ do to you."

"Nate, I…," Chuck began, but couldn't find the words. "Look, I don't forgive you but I don't want you to leave either."

Nate looked up at his friend in surprise as Chuck sighed.

"You're a brother to me and you always have been," he stated. "I'll forgive you one day. Not now but…one day."

Assured by his words, Nate smiled happily as Chuck looked away in slight discomfort.

"Thank you," Nate began. "But I really do need to go. Chuck, through everything…through it all, you've been the one constant thing in my life. You're my best friend and my brother and I'm sorry for what I did to you. The fact that you'll forgive me one day is enough hope for me. But I need to get away and find myself again, you know? I need to return to the person I used to be…the person you'd turn to when things got rough and the person who was loyal and caring."

Looking down sadly, Chuck nodded as Nate took a step closer to him.

"I love you, man," he said quietly. "I need you to know that and that I'm really sorry for everything."

With that, he turned towards Blair who stood at the top of the stairs staring down at them with Serena.

"Blair," he began and smiled softly as she stared down at him with residual hurt in her eyes. "I can't really begin to apologize for everything I've done. Just know that deep down I do regret hurting you…and if I could take it back…if I could take it all back, I would. I'd do things differently. But I can't and all I really have to offer is that I'm sorry. I just hope that one day you can forgive me. You too, Serena."

Without another word, he turned and walked away from the small group of people, never once looking back at them as tears formed in his eyes. Blair and Serena each stepped down to Chuck's either side and they stared at Nate's retreating back as he stepped into his cab and eventually disappeared. Standing next to one another, they slowly turned to face each other realizing that it would be the three of them. Nodding confidently, they each turned and walked through the many watchful eyes and stepped inside their school building. As Serena walked a little ahead of them with a small smile on her lips, Chuck and Blair walked down the hallway holding hands, smiling softly at one another. Although their lives were imperfect, Blair realized in that moment as they smiled at one another that everything _was_ perfect.


End file.
